Asparagus, Corn, and Mixed Greens with Tarragon Dressing
This is a wonderful first course salad. Save this recipe for the best corn on the cob season, and only use fresh tarragon.
You can prepare everything beforehand, but wait to dress the vegetables and compose the salad at the last minute. This is a
modification of an asparagus and mesclun salad from Cook's Illustrated.
Ingredients:
- 5 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T. red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1 tsp. capers
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon (if you don't like tarragon, use basil)
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cup diagonally into 1 inch pieces
- kernels cut from 1 cooked ear of corn
- 3 ounces (6 cups) mesclun
- 3 ounces (6 cups) baby romaine
- 3 hard cooked eggs, sliced
Whisk together 4 T. olive oil, vinegars, and salt. Add shallot, capers, tarragon, and pepper to taste.
Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add asparagus to pan, cover, and shake pan while quickly searing
asparagus. After 1 minute, remove from heat, and let sit for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, drain, and chill. Season to taste with
a bit of salt and fresh pepper. Remember that this will be dressed, so don't overseason. To serve, in a very
large bowl, mix corn and asparagus with half the dressing. Add mesclun and baby romaine, add the remaining dressing and
toss well. Divide the salad into 4 portions on salad plates. Decorate the edges with slices of hard cooked eggs.
Serves 4 as a first course.