Light and Fresh

From Bee Natural Farm CSA, Baldwin County

We herald the arrival of spring as we would a visit from a long absent friend. Cold toes and fingers begin to thaw.  Tiny green leaves appear tentatively on trees and shrubs, then seem to grow more confident each day.  Camellias give way to daffodils, then azaleas and dogwoods.  Birds sing and chirp with gusto as they begin to build their nests in earnest.  God's hand is seen at every turn.  It seems no accident nature points to a Master Designer this time of year as Lent gives way to a glorious Easter celebration.  The new birth seen all around us is the emphatic exclamation point for the power of Resurrection.

It is with great thanksgiving and praise I begin to noodle around in my kitchen this time of year.  We are on the threshold of great eating, when words like "local" and "seasonal" become more than just theory.  The most ardent locavore among us has by now surely succumbed to the less than ideal vegetal offerings found in our supermarkets and we have certainly been disappointed by the lack of flavor and freshness we have found there.  But now we return in droves to our local farmers' markets as diligent farmers and gardeners begin to harvest their first fruits.  We delve into our CSA boxes with the fervor of a six year old ripping through Christmas paper after weeks of hungrily surveying the neatly wrapped packages.

It is April and salad is the star of the show rather than a minor first act.  In January and February we may have a salad with our meal, but only because that is how we are accustomed to putting a meal together.  In April, a salad is composed with great tenderness, inspecting the different textures and colors, knowing we can hardly go wrong with ingredients so fresh.  There are as many ways to dress a salad as there are people who eat salads.  But as I put together delicate greens, crunchy radishes, crisp carrots, and spring onions, I want a dressing that will let the flavors and textures shine. This light dressing, yogurt meets avocado and fresh lemon juice, works for me and it may be just right for your spring salad, as well.

Avocado Yogurt Dressing
1 avocado
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
milk for thinning

1.  Remove avocado from its peel with a large spoon.  Mash with the back of a fork.

2.  Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the avocado.  Work into the avocado with your fork.

3.  Add mashed avocado to the yogurt.  Squeeze any juice remaining in the lemon half into the yogurt.  Mix well.

4.  Add chopped dill to the avocado mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Thickness will vary depending upon what kind of yogurt you use.  Leave it nice and thick and it is a perfect dip for veggies.  Thin it with milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until it is the consistency you want for a salad dressing.  Leave it thick enough to cling nicely to the salad ingredients.