Spring seems to have finally arrived here in Portland. And it’s about time! I feel as if it’s been months since I saw the sun, even though I know that it has peeked out for as long as a few hours at a time in the past few weeks.
Tomorrow it’s supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees. I’m not sure how I can contain myself.
One of the first signs of spring, of course, are tulips. These were given to me by a thoughtful co-worker.
And the other sign of spring? Farmer’s markets, fresh, local produce, lots of greens and daylight that lasts into the evening and inspires leisurely, light meals.
Today the intermittent sunshine and a big pile of ripe mangoes at the grocery store (and a package of fresh Dungeness crab meat in the fridge)
inspired me to make a crab, mango and avocado salad with micro greens (from the farmer’s market) and a lime ginger vinaigrette.
For such an elegant dinner, the prep was incredibly easy and the flavors a perfect combination of sweet, tart and little bit salty.
Crab, Mango and Avocado Salad with Lime Ginger Vinaigrette
(Serves 2 hungry people as a main course, or 4 as a starter)
For the Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all of the ingredients except the olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl, whisking briskly until the dressing emulsifies. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside while you assemble the salad.
For the Crab Salad
2 cups fresh salad greens
2 ripe mangos (I like the Manila variety), peeled and cut into small dice
1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
8 ounces fresh crab meat (here in the NW we use Dungeness Crab, but any fresh crabmeat will do)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Choose a nice plate on which to assemble the salad. Spread the greens evenly over the plate. Cover the greens with a generous layer of mangos, saving a few for garnish. Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of the plate and fill in the middle with the crabmeat. Garnish with remaining mango, and, if you like a little spice with your crab, sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the whole thing.
Just before serving, drizzle no more than ½ of the vinaigrette over the salad. Serve with the extra dressing on the side.
Even though we’ve finished dinner, the sunset still seems a long way off. It must really be spring at last!
knitting a life 