Spring Greens Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette and Gorgonzola Dolce

You may have noticed I like small meals, specially when I can make them in a small amount of time and still get something interesting and flavorful. I eat a salad almost every day, at the restaurant it is definitely my go to meal for lunch- it's a good thing to balance out all the desserts and chocolate I enjoy so much. I made this spring greens and herb salad after finding a beautiful bag of Mache' greens at the farmers market. I also added herbs from my very early spring garden. Nasturtium leaves which are quite peppery, fresh Thyme and some Greek Oregano. The Greek oregano is doing so well in it's new spot in the garden, I am having to prune it just to keep it from taking over- it's amazing. I made a Sherry vinaigrette which I love, added Thyme and garlic to it and a little honey to cut down on the acidity, then topped the salad off with some yummy Gorgonzola Dolce. The vinaigrette and the gorgonzola Dolce are also quite good with roasted or blanched asparagus.

Ingredients

For the salad use your favorite baby greens and herbs, here are some ideas: Mache', Frisse', Red Oak, Green Oak, baby Romaine, baby Spinach, Radicchio, Clover, and Dandelion greens. For herbs I like to add Nasturtium leaves and flowers, Oregano, Mint, Flat leaf parsley, and my all-time favorite- Thyme.

I added tomatoes and avocado because it's what I had on hand, but bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and cucumber would be great additions as well.

4 oz. Gorgonzola Dolce, crumbled

Sherry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons honey
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small jar with a lid (I use a jelly jar). Shake well until emulsified. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. (about 1 teaspoon sea salt and 3 turns of the pepper mill) Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Drizzle lightly over greens top with Gorgonzola Dolce and serve.