Tres Chic Salad

I was craving something light yet filling on one of our most recent 71-degree days. Though they were short-lived, they were certainly welcome springtime days, and they made me long for my quaint little patio deck, shaded by an ancient, enormous tree, where I would set up the hammock and nap in the lulling summer air. It was also the site of many a dinner al fresco.

I didn't want anything heavy for dinner, so I made a light yet still filling salad. Very French. Also inspiring the salad was an orange that needed to be eaten. These oranges are from our gentle neighbor to the south, the Sunshine State. SoSo good! I could not let it go to waste.

So, into this salad went:

*A bed of romaine lettuce (I would've preferred spinach or other mixed greens, but we were out)

*Aforementioned delicious, juicy orange segments

*Garbanzo beans

*Dried cranberries

*Chopped pecans

*Bleu cheese

*A homemade vinaigrette of honey mustard, lemon juice, S&P and a little olive oil

 So, as you can see, this salad is light, yet still calorically dense enough to satiate your appetite for dinner. I served it with a piece of leftover homemade Irish soda bread (exactly the same recipe I made last year) spread with a little of my mother-in-law's todiefor homemade jam.

And normally, on a weeknight, I don't drink wine. But this tres chic Frenchy salad, along with the 70-degree weather, just begged for a nice, crisp glass of Pinot grigio.

I picked this up for $6.99 I think, and it was really good. Especially alongside the salad!

I poured myself a small glass, taking a page from my previous post by paying homage yet again to another fabulous thing from my home state in my choice of drinking vessel. 

Especially for one of the first warm springtime days after a winter of a record-breaking 54 inches of snow, this was a tres chic and delightful dinner.

Just wish I could've enjoyed it on my patio.