Spinach Salad

I wanted a vibrant crunchy salad to serve with a vegetable stew the other day, and this spinach salad  fit the bill perfectly.

I tossed crinkly bloomsbury spinach with diced red onion and walnuts. A simple fat-free dressing of tangerine juice and red wine vinegar with a little coarse-grain mustard added gave the salad an extra burst of flavor.

If you don't have a tangerine, squeeze an orange instead - drink the extra juice as a perk.

Spinach Salad
4 cups spinach
2 tbsp diced red onion
2 tbsp walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp tangerine juice (about 1 tangerine)
3 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp coarse-grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the spinach well, spin it dry, tear out any tough stems, and rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Put in the salad bowl along with the red onion and walnuts.

Whisk together the tangerine juice, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, and add more vinegar if the dressing tastes too sweet. (Dip a spinach leaf in it to see if you like the taste.)

Toss the salad with half the dressing and serve the remainder on the side.

Serves 2

Watercress and Tangerine Salad

The watercress is flourishing on our patio. The banana plant collapsed in the icy weather, the bird baths froze over, and the watercress kept on growing.

It will die out in the heat of summer, but for now we have spicy homegrown greens for our salads.

The other night I tossed some watercress with a tangerine for a great combination of heat and sweet.

Watercress and Tangerine Salad
6 almonds
1 tangerine
2 cups watercress
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
salt

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toss with salt and let cool.

Peel and section the tangerine.

Rinse and dry the watercress. Remove any thick stems.

Combine the almonds, tangerine and watercress. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Add to the salad and toss gently. Season to taste.

Serves 2

The hummingbird was unamused when the fountain froze over.
The watercress seemed to enjoy the frosty weather.