Tired of heavy, prepackaged, overly-processed meals? Looking for a fresh lunch? Try this salad for a crisp, light, yet robustly-flavored meal. It will give you all the textures and tastes you could possibly crave but not weigh you down while doing so. (Matt E.)
Salad
5 Asparagus Stalks
2 T Olive Oil
Dash of Ground Black Pepper
½ C Mixed Greens
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
½ Persimmon
3 Large, Ripe Blackberries
¼ C Mixed Pitted Olives
1 oz. Gruyere Cheese
3 Slice (Deli-Style) Provolone Cheese
¼ C Pecan Halves
½ Clementine
Slice the Asparagus stalks into 1” pieces. Drizzle 1 T olive oil and sprinkle black pepper over the asparagus. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute in order to soften the asparagus. Add mashed potatoes to the side and on top of the asparagus slices.
Layer mixed greens onto the other side of the plate. Drizzle 1 T olive oil and Balsamic vinegar over the mixed greens.
Thinly slice the persimmon. Halve the blackberries and olives. Add the persimmon, blackberries, olives over the mixed greens.
Slice the gruyere cheese into chips. Tear the provolone cheese into strips. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire plate. Scatter the pecans over the cheese. Squeeze juice from the clementine over the cheese and pecans covering the mixed greens.
Dessert
1 Chia Seed Truffle
2 T Chilled Sugar Cookie Fondue (recipe to come)
½ Persimmon
2 Large, Ripe Blackberries
2 T Lemon Sorbet
Press the chia seed truffle into the bottom of a small dish. Spread the sugar cookie fondue over the truffle until it is completely covered.
Thinly slice the persimmon. Halve the blackberries. Layer the fruit over the fondue. Top the dish with the lemon sorbet.
