Spinach Salad, Nine Ways: Part 1

Iceberg lettuce, step aside!  

For today and the next eight Thursdays, I'll offer you fresh ideas in spinach salads - along with homemade dressings to drizzle.  Use these recipes as a springboard for your own salad adventures.  This is gonna be fun.

I adore salad.  There's just something about a bowl full of crisp, colorful veggies!  Endless combinations and creative opportunities abound.  Since I was a teen girl, I've been enchanted by the idea of shredding carrots over our supper greens, tossing a few crunchy extras over it all, then artfully arranging red tomato wedges around the edges.  My mother rolled her eyes at me, not understanding my urge for beautiful food or my penchant for seasonings.  At least the rest of the family seemed duly impressed by good presentation.

Today's entry features crunchy celery, delectable asparagus, colorful bell peppers, sweet dried mango and succulent rotisserie chicken, topped with a homemade Tarragon dressing.  I used dried French Tarragon from last summer's herb garden to flavor the dressing.  I suppose you could skip the herb if this is unavailable to you and your dressing will still turn out...  Just be sure to plant some French Tarragon this year for yourself!

Tarragon Bell Pepper Spinach Salad

an original recipe by Kelly Jo Vanderstelt

Salad

1.  Layer in a large bowl or platter:

• 1 Heart of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
• Half a bag of Spinach 
• 2 Cups of Rotisserie Chicken, chopped up
  
• 1/2 lb. of Asparagus, already steamed, cooled and cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 2 Stalks of Celery, sliced into half-moons
• Yellow, Red and Orange Peppers, julienned
• 1 Tomato, cut into wedges
• 1/2 pkg. dried Mango, diced

 2.  Drizzle with Tarragon Dressing just before serving.

Dressing

1.  Mix together in a jar or bottle:

• 1/3 Cup Tarragon Vinegar
• 2 Tbs. Honey
• 1/2 Tbs. dried French Tarragon leaves, crumbled in your hand
• 1/2 Tsp. dried Mustard
• 1/4 Tsp. Salt
• 1/4 Tsp. Pepper 

2.  Whisk in 1/2 Cup Olive Oil until well mixed.