Easy Early Spring Garden Dinner

I SPY DINNER.  Baby green lettuces, safe inside the confines of the cold frame, are begging to be plucked.  Last fall's onions emerged this spring, huge and mild.  Better Half's asparagus patch offered up some tasty spears.

So, let's make one of my very favorite spring salads and have those 2 hour old asparagus spears for dinner. 

Wilted Green Salad with Warm Bacon Vinegar Dressing

One-half package baby spinach or mixed salad greens, such as Spring Mix. If you have fresh greens from the garden, so much the better. Use a colander full of them.

One bunch of green onions, or 1/2 half red onion sliced thinly, or a couple of last year's wintered over onions

Two hard boiled eggs

4 slices bacon, minced and fried till brown. Reserve drippings.

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 to 3 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

One strawberry for garnish

Fry bacon in skillet until browned.  Remove bacon bits.  Pour all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from skillet.

Wash greens.  Drain or spin to remove excess moisture.  Put in bowl in refrigerator to crisp greens.

Slice onions, hard boiled eggs and strawberry.  Set aside.

Heat drippings over low heat.  Add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  The addition of the vinegar will send quite a smell sensation into the air.  Be prepared.  Continue to simmer over low heat until the dressing has thickened slightly.

Add the eggs, bacon bits, and onions to the salad greens.  Lightly dress the salad with the dressing, adding the strawberry garnish to the top.  Spoon onto plates.

Blanched Asparagus

I hesitate to call this a recipe.  All you have to do is put about an inch of water into a skillet.  Bring it to a boil.  Drop the asparagus into the boiling water.  Depending on the size of the asparagus, cook them only for a couple of minutes, just until they are fork tender.  Don't overcook!!! Remove them from the boiling water.  Dress with a tiny bit of butter and some freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese.  You're finished.

Now, mind you, this dinner is not what one might call a "stick to your ribs" meal.  You may find yourself padding out to the kitchen for a bowl of ice cream before you go to bed. 

Better Half is already munching on a little bowl of peanuts.   

But, make no mistake, the flavors are worth it - creamy lettuces, the crunch of salty bacon, the smoothness of the hard boiled egg and the tartness of the dressing.  And, fresh asparagus, simply cooked and dressed, is absolutely a taste not to be missed.  Long live Spring!