Really, Spring really is just around the corner and this brings me to spring vegetables..namely asparagus and fiddleheads.

 

• 1 cup cleaned fiddleheads
• 2 cups white asparagus
• 4 cups mixed spring greens
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped coarsely

Raspberry Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Steam the fiddleheads about 8 minutes and chill in ice water. Drain well and gently pat dry.

Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and steam for about 4 minutes. Chill in ice water, drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl using half of the dressing, mix the salad greens and plate.  Toss the asparagus and fiddleheads with the remaining dressing and arrange around the salad.

Garnish with the raspberries and pecans.  If there is any remaining dressing, drizzle over the salad.

If you have never tried fiddleheads, this might be a good time to be adventurous.

**To clean the fiddleheads. snap off the tops, leaving 2 inches of stem attached. Rub off the brown casing. Soak in a bowl of cold water, changing the water often to remove any dirt of casing particles. drain well.