In my garden this week

French breakfast radishes all in a row. My husband says they are a pleasure to grow because they come up so fast it is instant gratification. I thinly sliced some radishes and ate them on fresh buttered baguette. A simple but delicious snack. Since this is the time of year when asparagus and strawberries are available at the same time, I decided to make a spring salad for dinner. I paired the salad with grilled teriyaki chicken and we all enjoyed it so we had it again with some pork chops a few days later. You may of course use any greens that you like, but don’t be afraid to be generous with the dressing. I didn’t feel it needed any salt, but you can make that choice yourself.

Asparagus salad with radish, almonds, and strawberries
1 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

4 or 5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

2 cups strawberries, sliced in half

4 handfuls spinach

4 handfuls arugula

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for two minutes, drain and immediately rinse in cold water. Drain the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon, mustard, honey and sesame oil. Whisk the olive oil in slowly until emulsified. Divide the greens onto four plates, top with asparagus, almonds, and strawberries. Drizzle a generous amount of dressing over salads. Finish with freshly ground black pepper. Makes four servings.