Saturday, April 23, 2011

Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Date Salad



It's asparagus season!

Have you read that sentence about a thousand times since the beginning of March? Yeah, me too. But hey, it is asparagus season.

I don't know about you, but I can't really resist a bunch of asparagus when I see it at the store. Next to it are the broccoli, the mushrooms...I've been hanging out with those guys since winter. It's time to find someone new. 

Asparagus is long and lanky, kind of like that nice guy in high school who always seemed kind of awkward. It can be green, white or purple, but it pretty much always stands out. "Hey," it seems to tell us, "don't you just want to bite my head off?" In a good way, obviously. I don't hold a grudge against asparagus.


I love eating asparagus blanched, on its own, or simply roasted. Sometimes, though, you feel like taking things one step further and making a meal out of asparagus, try to let it become friends with some other food items. Like goat cheese, for example, for the tang. Add a chopped Medjool date in there, a few cherry tomatoes, and you've got yourself a springtime party.

Cadbury Mini Eggs just might be in attendance for dessert, so get your daily vegetables in while you can...and make that lonely lanky asparagus happy!



Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Date Salad
serves two

one bunch asparagus
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
4 TB soft fresh goat cheese
4 TB rice vinegar
1 TB olive oil
1 TS honey
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch asparagus until just tender. Remove from water, shock in cold water, and cut each stalk in half. Place in a serving bowl. Add cherry tomatoes and dates.

In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, olive oil, goat cheese, honey, and salt & pepper. Drizzle over salad and serve.
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9 comments:

Cooking Gallery said...

I like the ingredients in your salad, sounds and looks really delicious!

Eleni said...

ooh! i love asparagus and my mommy loves dates. i need to try this!

Mary Bergfeld said...

This is a perfect spring salad. This looks really delicious and I'll be making this very soon. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

grace said...

what a unique combination of textures and flavors! asparagus is slowly growing on me (not literally, of course), and i love the idea of goat cheese and chewy dates together!

Barbara said...

I'm with you on the subject of asparagus! I love it and eat it several times a week. This salad looks wonderful, Lucie. Love the dates in it.

Juliana said...

Oh Lucie, I like what you have in this salad...never thought in adding dates...it sure sound and look delicious. Like the sweetness of it. Have a wonderful week :-)

Reeni said...

I love all the tremendous flavors in here - an especially delicious way to eat asparagus!

Kerstin said...

Sold at goat cheese - such a lovely spring side dish!

Seo Services said...

nice look ....