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A perfect salad is a symphony of textures and flavors with some cooked elements, some raw, a quality olive oil mixed with citrus, luscious Marcona almonds, and crusty hunks of toasted bread (croutons) throughout. We love pairing this salad with the refreshing acidity of the Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Gris. This travels well and would make for an excellent crowd pleaser (and spark of color!) for a BBQ this Memorial Day. 
Spring Panzanella
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup raw, shelled English peas
- 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1” strips at a bias
- 8 fingerling potatoes, quartered
- 1 bunch radishes, greens removed, quartered
- 2 stalk rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces at a bias
- 1 cup mint leaves
- ½ cup dill, chopped
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 1 cup Marcona almonds
- 2 cups fresh sourdough, cubed
- quality olive oil for dressing, roasting
- juice of two lemons
- salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven for 350’ F. Prep potatoes and radishes for roasting on a baking sheet, coat with a lug of olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are just browned. Toss in rhubarb and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat in a bowl, set aside. Using the same pan, toast bread for 15 minutes until just browned but still soft in places.
- In the basin of a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, peas, asparagus, mint, dill, shallots, and almonds. Stir to combine. Add room-temperature baked radishes and potatoes. Stir in preferred quantity of olive oil (1/4 cup or more) along with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to coat. I like to use my hands for this part. Finally, add the toasted bread and mix again. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes for bread to soak up the dressing and herby notes.
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