Roasted Asparagus & Crunchy Radish Salad

Early spring always feels like such a tease. For two weeks it was 80°F and the next week we were watching spherical snow fall from the sky and land on the road where it turned instantly into slush. Even though March feels like it should be all spring and flowers and showers, it's usually the snowiest month of the year for us. Whatever accumulates never lasts long this time of year, melting with in a day or two.

The moment you have yourself convinced it's finally spring and the warm weather is here to stay, Mother Nature takes charge again and drops some white stuff outside your window. It is too warm for soup. Potatoes and winter squash are long gone, but asparagus and spring radish are yet to come. This is the limbo between winter and spring we are in. I desperately crave fresh produce picked from the garden, a dose of vitamin D from the sun, and a late evening where the skies stay light past 6pm.

Roasted Asparagus & Crunchy Radish Salad

Published March 9, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3-4 | Active Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral cooking oil)

1/2 red onion

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup radishes, sliced

2-3 tablespoons parsley, minced

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

For the Vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Chop the thick ends off of the asparagus and discard. Chop remaining asparagus into 3rds and toss in avocado oil. Cut red onion into wedges. Spread in even layer on baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until asparagus begins to crisp. Remove asparagus from oven, and allow to cool.
Toast pine nuts in oven on a separate baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: place all ingredients in a jar. Close jar, and shake until combined.
Assemble salad: Place spinach and radishes in large salad bowl, and top with asparagus and red onion. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss to coat, and season to taste with black pepper. Serve.
Notes: Crumbles of goat or feta cheese make great additions to this salad, just sprinkle on top at the end.

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The series Sex and the City hit it's peak at the end of my Junior year of high school. It was a BIG DEAL. A really big deal. The first Sex and the City movie came out and my tight-nit group of girlfriends was all over it. Sure, watching the show felt a bit risque, but what made this show so appealing was the strong female leads. The quartet of women knew everything about one another, and gathered for regular brunch dates to just talk about life (who doesn't want to go to brunch on a regular basis?).

My circle of friends could totally relate to it. While our lives were significantly less entertaining than Carrie's, Charlotte's, Samantha's, or Miranda's, we could spend hours talking about our shared dramas. We would camp out at the local coffee shop, Cup of Coffee, claiming it as our headquarters.

Those days are long behind us--Cup of Coffee has a new owner and a new name, and our tradition has slipped into the past along with it. I wish I could say we still talk to each other on a regular basis, but to be honest, it's sporadic at best. Still, when that group gets together it's like no time has passed at all.

Earlier this Spring a few of us sat down to brunch in a Sex and the City-style fashion. Nothing had changed. Is brunch a 5 hour affair? Sure! Just make sure there are enough Mimosas to go around. These airy Spring Omelettes made it feel like a fancy meal. Since our brunch dates are few and far between these days, it's nice to make them count with a bit of extra everything. I'm the only Paleo eater at the table, but it doesn't matter: no one seems to notice they're eating grain-free when the table is covered in platters of fresh food! These omelettes stole the show, stuffed with prosciutto and garlicky asparagus.

I think even back in 11th grade, I secretly hoped that I'd always have my girlfriends around for brunch. Here's to many more to come!

Best enjoyed outside! — Best enjoyed outside!

Paleo Spring Omelette

Yields 4 small omelettes

4 eggs

1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

4 slices prosciutto

16 stalks of asparagus

1 clove garlic

4 teaspoon coconut oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the garlic. Add it to the pan once the oil is hot. Trim the tough, white ends from the asparagus and add it to the pan. Stir every so often, cooking until the asparagus is bright green and tender.

2. While the asparagus cooks, whisk together the eggs and coconut milk.

3. In a 9-inch non-stick skillet (I use a Le Creuset enamel cast iron skillet), heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pick up the skillet and swirl it around the pan to coat. Return to stove, and pour in 1/4 of the egg mixture. The mixture will bubble and begin to set. Turn the heat down to low. Once the omelette is cooked almost all the way through, lay 1 slice of prosciutto in the center. Top with 4 stalks of asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Fold the omelette: working carefully, use a spatula to fold one side of the omelette over the asparagus and then the other. Slide the full cooked omelette onto a plate and serve.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, using remaining coconut oil, eggs, prosciutto, and asparagus until all four omelettes are cooked.