Green Summer Salad

I don’t mean to brag, but I can eat a salad bigger than my head.

Greens in my house last a hot New York second. I can run through a head, bag or box of lettuce faster than a kid tearing into their gifts on Christmas morning. My parents, not so much.

My parents, who grew up during the depression, can make a single head of iceberg lettuce, one cucumber and 2 tomatoes last about a month. Seriously.

We’ve all fallen victim to old food. I once ate half of a pack of cupcakes before discovering they were moldy. My sister rolled the dice by eating some jelly that had been preserved by Martha Washington. We’ve basically all learned to check expiration dates before we commit to anything from their fridge or cupboard. Meanwhile, they eat things that could classify as a science experiment and rarely even have a cold. Go figure.

Food does not generally last as long around my house as it does in theirs. Particularly if it is green like this salad. No penicillin here.

Ingredients:

2 “heads” of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 cup green peas (frozen are fine, fresh are better!)
1 cucumber, peeled, sliced or spiralized
1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin
1 (scant) cup sliced fennel
1 avocado, sliced

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Add dressing before serving and toss to coat or serve dressing on the side.

Dressing:

6 Tablespoons sliced shallots (approximately 2 shallots)
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
6 Tablespoons oil (you can use olive oil, but avocado oil is definitely better in this salad)
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sweetener (agave or honey, but I can’t recommend maple syrup) –optional