Green Goddess Salad

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4, generously Serving(s)

For the Salad

Roughly 2 pounds mixed green vegetables like haricots verts, long beans, asparagus, or broccolini, lightly steamed but still “al dente,” cooled
1 avocado, sliced
4 ounces butter lettuce or about 2 loosely packed cups tender arugula
1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced on the bias
6 eggs, from assorted fowl if possible (add a few more if using quail eggs)
1 cup micro-greens or pea shoots
½ cup basil leaves

For the crispy okra

2 cups fresh or pickled okra, tops removed, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt

For the Dressing

1½ cups Greek yogurt
3 fillets anchovies
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup Italian parsley
¼ cup fresh chives
¼ cup fresh mint
3 green onions, both white and green parts
1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons sea salt
Olive oil
Sea salt
Lime slices

Preparation

Prepare the okra. Preheat oven to 425° F. Arrange sliced okra, seed side down, on a sheet pan. Make sure the pieces are not touching. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast 10–15 minutes, until they are golden and crispy on the seed side. Set aside to cool. (During this time, you can also quickly steam green vegetables and cool under cold water.)

Make jammy eggs. In a saucepan, cover eggs with cold water and place over medium heat on the stove. When the pot begins to boil, set a timer for 6 minutes for chicken eggs, 7 for duck eggs. (Quail and bantam eggs will need less time.) When the timer sounds, place the pan in the sink and run cold water into it until the eggs are cool to the touch. Peel them carefully and slice in half lengthwise.

Make the dressing. In a food processor or high powered blender, add yogurt, anchovies, basil, Italian parsley, chives, mint, green onions, garlic, lime juice, zest, olive oil, and sea salt. Blend until smooth. If it is too thick for your taste, thin with water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

On a large platter, arrange greens and basil, and top with cucumber, steamed vegetables, and eggs. Drizzle with good olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve dressing in a bowl in the center of the salad. Garnish with lime slices.

Celebrate the Chickens

I’m writing this recipe in mid-March. Snow’s still feathering down outside. Last night, the old plastic thermometer outside my kitchen window sat at 9° F before I went to bed. But yesterday, when I ma...