The area of the garden I've started to call "the salad bowl" is really filling in with several plantings of spinach, lettuces, pea shoots, radishes, and mesclun mix. Between the greens from thinning out a few beets and radishes, and what lettuce, spinach, and pea shoots I was able to strategically pluck from the garden, there was just enough to make a little micro-green salad to go with our dinner of beer brats with rhubarb ketchup and rhubarb salsa. The only thing missing was a cold Summer Shandy. It was spring perfection!
And to top it off, a couple of spoonfuls of this fantastic rhubarb salad dressing. It's a great vinaigrette that could be adapted easily to fit your taste. Personally, I love dressings with lots of onion flavor, so the minced scallions really hit the mark. In a few more weeks, I might even try throwing in a few strawberries and substituting the white vinegar for balsamic vinegar in my next batch. When even your salad dressing is a celebration of spring, it's a very good thing!
Rhubarb Dressing
2 cups rhubarb, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons scallions, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine rhubarb, sugar, and vinegar in a sauce pan and cook until the rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes. Strain to remove all juice, discarding the pulp. Pour juice into a jar and add oil, onion, worcestershire sauce, and salt. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate. Yields half a pint
Recipe from Wendy Marcott in the Saint Paul Farmers' Market Produce Cookbook
Labels: beets, lettuce, mesclun, peas, radishes, recipes, rhubarb, scallions
