With sunny weather finally here, I have moved on from steaming hot soups to fresh seasonal salads and lighter dishes.  This citrus and kale salad is loaded with flavor and textures.  The cumin lime vinaigrette is a perfect complement to the creamy avocado and zesty citrus while the crispy quinoa adds a delightful crunch as well as a healthy dose of protein and vitamins.  Once you try crispy quinoa, you will never go back to croutons and their empty calories.  Even if you aren’t a fan of quinoa, you might be surprised by how different it tastes once it’s been ‘crisped’ in olive oil.

This is my favorite time of year, when my garden comes to life. The month of May is a wonderful overlapping of seasons.  Spring blooming plants like rhododendron and azalea are still in full bloom and summer roses are just beginning to emerge creating a gorgeous riot of color.

My vegetable garden is loaded with greens.  You can just see the chickens photobombing in the background.

Recent warmer nights are allowing tomatoes to retain blossoms and artichokes are sending up their first stalks, so stay tuned for new artichoke dishes this spring.  We will tackle tomatoes later in the summer. when they are ripe and abundant.

Let’s circle back to today’s green salad.  It’s very easy to prepare with only a few really good ingredients.  I have gotten in the habit of making more quinoa than I need and freeze one cup servings which makes it easy to add to salads, soups and chili.  Just defrost and you’re good to go.  I prefer using red quinoa for this purpose since I like it’s flavor and texture better than white quinoa, but you could also try using the tri-color quinoa which could make an interesting salad.

CITRUS GREEN SALAD WITH CRISPY QUINOA

• 1/2 cup red quinoa (1 cup cooked)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 cups baby kale or mixed greens
• 2 oranges
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 small red onion (or 3 scallions)

CUMIN LIME VINAIGRETTE

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

• Cook quinoa according to directions. For more flavor, use vegetable broth instead of water. Drain on papertowels to prevent splattering.

• Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet and ‘fry’ quinoa on medium heat until crispy, 5 to 10 minutes.  Season with salt. Remove from heat and let cool.

• Wash greens and arrange in a large salad bowl.

• Sprinkle cooled quinoa over greens.

• Using a sharp knife, remove peel and slice the oranges into rounds and then bite sized pieces.

• Slice avocado into bite sized pieces.

• Thinly slice red onion and add to salad along with orange segments and avocado.

• Whisk together (or use a shaker) all vinaigrette ingredients and dress salad just before serving.