Spring Garden Salad

Croutons:

½ baguette

½ cup local extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

French Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1 shallot, diced

¼ cup local extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

4 cups mixed greens (whatever is fresh from your garden or farmers’ market)

¼ pound fresh asparagus (about ¾ cup when thinly sliced)

4 ounces North Valley Farms Chèvre

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°. Cut the baguette into cubes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake until golden in color. Watch very closely as bread burns easily. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Place vinegar and diced shallot in a bowl. Slowly stream in oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Season to taste with

salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.Wash and dry greens thoroughly. Tear them into bite sized pieces, and place in a serving bowl.

Bend each asparagus stalk so that the woody end breaks off. Wash the asparagus, then slice each spear on the bias very thinly.

Add the sliced asparagus to the bowl with the greens. Right before serving, add 1 cup croutons and dressing and toss. Sprinkle crumbled chevre on top, toss lightly, and add salt and pepper to taste.

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