A vibrant spring studio salad - butter lettuce, saffron almonds, blue kale micro greens - the first at our new workspace for the shop. Plus a few treasures discovered as we fixed up the place.
Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
pinch of saffron threads (20 or so)
1/3 cup (Marcona) almonds
3 hard boiled eggs, grated on a box grater
2-3 heads of butter lettuce or little gems, well washed and dried
a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
to serve: lots of sprouts or micro greens, avocado, coriander or chive blossoms
Directions
Grind the salt and saffron into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Add the almonds, and smash until the nuts are the size of small pebbles. Set aside.
Just before you're ready to serve, arrange the lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently, but thoroughly, you want all the leaves to get lightly coated.
Cut the lemon in thirds, and squeeze one third onto the lettuce, toss again. Sprinkle with most of the saffron-almond mixture, and gently toss one more time.
I like to finish with the eggs, and lots of micro greens or sprouts, but typically season them with a bit more olive oil, and a touch of salt before sprinkling them atop the lettuce along with the avocado, and any edible blossoms I have on hand.
