Edible San Diego

Zingy Spring Salad with Kumquats and Green Garlic Vinaigrette

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Breakfasts

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Photography by Haley Hazell

Prep Time
COOK TIME
SERVE
30 minutes
35 minutes
4

Make the most of spring produce from Specialty Produce

Make the most of the unique seasonal bounty at Specialty Produce with this spring salad. Blanching your vegetables results in a beautiful, bright green color and snappy crunch that pairs perfectly with creamy mozzarella, fresh mint, and tart citrus.

Recipe sponsored by Specialty Produce.

Ingredients


  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 5–6 kumquats
  • 1 pound english peas (about 1 cup of shelled peas)
  • 1 bunch baby broccoli
  • Salt (for blanching water)
  • 1 stalk of green garlic
  • 1 Meyer lemon
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup picked mint leaves
  • ¼ cup pea shoots
  • 1 ball of mozzarella

Instructions

  • Prep your produce
    Trim and cut asparagus into bite-sized pieces.
    Thinly slice a handful of kumquats.
    Shell 1 cup of fresh english peas.
    Trim ends of baby broccoli.
  • Blanch your veggies
    Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a roaring boil and prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
    Blanch shelled peas by dropping into boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds -1 minute until all peas float to the top and are bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peas to the ice bath to immediately stop cooking. Remove peas from ice water and set aside.
    Blanch baby broccoli by dropping into boiling water. Cook for about 1 minute until all just tender and bright green. Using tongs, transfer the baby broccoli to the ice bath to immediately stop cooking. Remove baby broccoli from ice water and set aside.
    Blanch asparagus by dropping into boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes until just tender and are bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to the ice bath to immediately stop cooking. Remove asparagus from ice water and set aside.
  • Make your dressing
    To make the meyer lemon green garlic dressing, finely chop 1 stalk of green garlic. Transfer chopped green garlic into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1 meyer lemon and top with ¼ cup of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  • Bring it all together
    In a large bowl, toss blanched asparagus and baby broccoli with ¾ of dressing.
    Transfer dressed vegetables to a platter and top with peas, big chunks of fresh mozzarella, sliced kumquats, picked mint leaves, and pea shoots. Drizzle remaining dressing on top of the cheese. Finish with flaky salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
contributor163

Haley Hazell

As a freelance food stylist, visual designer and recipe developer, for Haley it is all about balance—balancing careers, tastes and textures. Haley attended culinary school at San Francisco Cooking School and recently relocated to San Diego, where she is getting to know this amazing county one taco shop at a time. She loves to cook and eat with the seasons, letting the amazing peak produce from her local farmers market inspire her recipe writing. To her, simple and delicious recipes start with quality ingredients and end with full bellies and plates licked clean.

It wasn’t inevitable, but it sure is a good fit. Katie Stokes brings a love of family, nature, gardening, cooking, animals, reading and travel to her leadership of Edible San Diego.