warm roasted asparagus salad + lemon vinaigrette

 We eat a lot of salads in the summer.  They are easy, and don't require much work, outside of chopping.  And they won't weigh you down as the temperature rises!  It's actually been a really cool summer here so far (sorry, pool) so I thought a warm salad would hit the spot.  Asparagus is right in season now, and we've been eating it once or twice a week lately.  We love it!  Except Rowan.  She tastes it every time, and says "I'm not a big fan of asparagus."  Which is what I've taught my children to say instead of "this is yucky."  If you ARE a big fan of asparagus, this salad is really yummy, not yucky.

for roasted asparagus
3/4 lb to 1 lb asparagus
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 large lemon, juiced
1/4 cup parmesan, grated

for vinaigrette
1 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t dijon mustard
1/2 large lemon, juiced

1 T olive oil
2 dashes of dill weed

pepper

toppings
grated parmesan
sliced almonds

5-7 cups salad greens
serves 4-6

First wash and trim your asparagus.  Preheat oven to 400.  Spread asparagus onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and grated parmesan.

Roast asparagus for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway.  You want the asparagus to still be firm but tender.  No limp, soggy asparagus here!  If you eat yours squishy and soggy, it's time for an intervention.  This is how I like my asparagus best, and if you just want an asparagus side dish, you could just stop here.

While the asparagus is roasting, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.  Rowan did the whisking while I took pictures.  I finally have a cooking assistant!  She's cheap, but messy.

When the asparagus is finished, cut into inch long sections, leaving a few long stems to top the salad.  In a large bowl, toss the asparagus and greens (I used arugula and baby spinach- so good) and vinaigrette together.  Lay the long stems on top and sprinkle the salad with parmesan and almond slices.

The littles hovered nearby while I took the pictures, and the minute I set my camera down, all bets were off.  Although Rowan isn't a "big fan" of asparagus, she ate up the greens, almonds, and cheese.  And Fletcher helped her out with her asparagus.  Win-win!

Here is the aftermath.

We like our salad around here!  And this one is a winner.  The warm asparagus really brought out the bright flavor of the vinaigrette.  Enjoy!