One of my friends noted that salads are always better when someone else makes them. Normally I agree, but a salad like this is worth the effort. It is loaded with goodies without making you feel yucky afterwards. As the seasons change, so should your ingredients. Use whatever you find at the farmer’s market and add any leftover veggies you have in your frig. This recipe is what I happened to have on hand. Vary according to your palate and what's available. Check out the YouTube video at the end too.

Tips:

• I don’t like to have to use a knife when eating a salad, so I cut all the veggies bite-sized.

• In the dead of winter when tomatoes taste like plastic, try roasting them to bring out the natural sweetness. While the oven is on add some squash and onions too.

• Make sure all the ingredients are very dry before you dress the salad. A wet leaf won’t hold the dressing and be bland.

• If you are using a green vegetable, steam or blanch the vegetable for a few minutes, then shock the green in an ice water bath to preserve the bright green color and stop the cooking process.

Cobb Salad

Serves 4

PREP 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried well and torn

Grape tomatoes, quartered

Asparagus, blanched then diced

Artichoke hearts, quartered

English cucumber, diced

Croutons

Goat cheese

Avocado, sliced

4 slices bacon, cut bite-sized

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

Nuts or seeds

DRESSING

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/2 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare your dressing in a mason jar so you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator and you can shake it well before using. Bring any leftovers to room temperature before using.

2. Add all the ingredients except the olive oil to the mason jar. Shake the dressing well to dissolve the salt. Add the olive oil and put the lid back on. Shake the dressing again. The dressing will thicken from the dijon and all the ingredients will combine. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl place your lettuce. Slowly add dressing, tossing along the way until you reach the desired amount. Season the lettuce with salt and pepper.

4. Place the lettuce on each plate then start to lay out your toppings. I like to stripe the toppings, but you can place them randomly too. Drizzle some additional dressing and salt on the toppings.