Mixed Greens with Caper Vinaigrette

If you haven't already noticed, my annual spring salad obsession has kicked in.  It happens every year - spring rolls around and then I go nuts at the farmers' market buying ingredients for salads (only some of which include lettuce/greens).  I can't wait for asparagus to pop up the farmers' market.  I love asparagus and asparagus salads.  And once tomatoes show up at the farmers' market that will trigger a whole round of tomato-mozzarella salads and other tomato salads.  I get a little crazy with it all, but it is all so delicious that I can't help myself.  Unfortunately, it is still early enough in the season that greens of various sorts are the only thing that is really available.  So I am making a lot of salads with various greens.  Maybe in another week or two other things will crop up for me to play with.  And then before you know it summer will be in full swing!  Yay!

My favorite thing about this salad is just how pretty it looks.  I said something crazy about wanting to just look at/take pictures of this salad all day long last night while looking at the pictures I took on my camera and Alex laughed at me.  But seeing as neither of us can remember exactly what I said, I guess it wasn't that funny or memorable.  Similarly, I'm not sure that this salad was that memorable.  It's very fresh and I like the vinaigrette, but I think it is missing something.  I proposed adding some chopped up egg whites or some toasted walnuts to the salad to give it a little extra something.  I'm not sure exactly what it was missing, but the salad definitely needed something extra.  I think the other possibility is to add a whole lot of extra ingredients (maybe some tuna and chickpeas for instance) and make this into an entree salad using this dressing.  I actually think that would work nicely.

Recipe after the jump!

Mixed Greens with Caper Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:
1 small shallot, minced

1 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed, and finely chopped
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
s&p
3 tbsp evoo (we used 2 tbsp lemon-flavored evoo and 1 tbsp regular evoo, but if you don't have any lemon-flavored evoo it's ok - you can use regular evoo and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice)
3-4 cups bitter salad greens, washed and dried (and if yours are large like ours, torn into pieces)
Combine shallot, capers, parsley, vinegar, sugar and s&p in a nonreactive serving bowl. Drizzle in evoo while whisking.


Add greens and toss to coat, season with additional s&p to taste. Serve immediately.