chop chop

Here’s a fresh and vibrant salad that I am going to convert into a side dish. I got the recipe in my daily feed from Bon Appétit; after a couple tweaks it’s sure to be my wingman throughout the summer. While it makes a tremendous luncheon salad, I love it alongside grilled fish, chicken and meat.

Because it’s as easy to make as it is fresh I’m going to serve it up for a group of Garden Club of America judges who are coming over for supper this coming Sunday before our big flower show in Dayton. And if you’ve ever been a co-chair of a national flower show (or you’ve known one) then you know that when it’s show time there’s not a single minute to spare. So how great that all the components can be prepped and stowed hours in advance.

Chop, chop… here is my chopped spring salad.

Chop half of an English cucumber.

Chop three scallions.

Trim and chop four radishes.

Thinly slice one cup of sugar snap peas.

Quarter ¾ cup of cherry tomatoes.

Place all the vegetables in a bowl, Try to keep each vegetable in its own grouping. Cover and refrigerate. This can be done several hours ahead of time.

Finely chop three tablespoons of chives.

Finely chop three tablespoons of mint. Place the herbs in a small dish, cover and refrigerate.

Meanwhile place six ounces of yogurt in a small bowl.

Add two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice, one tablespoon rice vinegar, one grated clove of garlic, a quarter teaspoon of Sriracha.

Whisk together.

Add two tablespoons of the chopped chives, and two tablespoons of the chopped mint and whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper and let dressing sit at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. The dressing can be made three days ahead of time.

Right before serving, dice half of a ripe avocado.

Toss the cucumber, scallions, radishes, peas, and tomatoes in a large bowl to combine; season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly among your plates. Scatter with the chopped avocado.

Drizzle with dressing and top with the reserved chopped chives and mint.  One bite and this is sure to win “best in show”.