composed salad: avocado, citrus, and greens

Tiny clementines

It should come as no surprise that I am enjoying our winter garden. Every day has brought a new surprise, from tiny Brussels sprouts to baby carrots that I'm too smitten with to pick. Of course, today it hit nearly 80 degrees; we can hardly think of this as winter.

The garden harvest: one turnip, lettuce, and kale.

Nonetheless, winter greens are thriving and we have sweet, colorful baby lettuces aplenty. After telling one neighbor last week that I, "Couldn't grow a turnip to save my life," I pulled one from the bed that was a bit bigger than a golf ball and tender (and sweet) enough to eat raw. Mom, I hope you're proud!

Inspired by the garden harvest and an impulse buy of 5 pounds of clementines, tonight's dinner was a fetching composed salad. If you'd like to throw together your own composed salad, here's a start:

Avocado Citrus Winter Salad

1 ripe avocado, sliced
5-6 clementines, peels removed and then sliced or sectioned (just for the pretty factor; you can just peel them)
Dried cranberries
Walnut pieces
Lettuce
Roasted garbanzo beans (roast in olive oil at 400 for about 15 minutes and add salt)
Citrus juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Combine everything in a manner that pleases you, and enjoy! Try it with grapefruit, too; it's tangier and a bit more lively. The walnuts and avocado add some brain food and the garbanzos make for a good healthy protein. And let's face it, pretty food is just more fun to eat!

A composed salad for wintery months.