Keep It Seasonal Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches Crispy Prosciutto and Leek Salad with Mustard Dressing Serves 4 For this salad, choose a selection of leaves that have a pungent bite to them: mustard leaves, bittercress, watercress, arugula, upland cress. If you can't find baby leeks, small leeks will do. Also, at this time of the year, ramps (wild leeks) are in season and would be an excellent choice. For an extra-rich addition, boil 4 eggs for 6 minutes. Peel and cut in half, allowing the yolk to ooze over the salad. Ingredients: 12 baby leeks or 4 small leeks (white part only), trimmed 8 ramps, trimmed, optional 8 slices prosciutto Grated zest of 1 lemon 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/3 cup olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 handfuls mixed greens, such as watercress, mustard, and arugula Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the leeks, and boil until tender, approximately 5 minutes. (To test, pinch them with your fingers -- quickly so as not to burn yourself. If they give a little to the pressure, they are tender.) Do the same for the ramps if you are using them. Drain and set aside. Place the sliced prosciutto on a baking sheet, being careful not to overlap the slices (you may have to do this in batches). Place in the oven and bake until the prosciutto is golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove the prosciutto from the oven and sprinkle with the lemon zest while it is still warm. To prepare the dressing: Combine the mustards with the sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until thick and creamy. To prepare the salad, season the leeks and ramps with sea salt and pepper and toss with a spoonful of the dressing. Layer the leeks and ramps, prosciutto, and greens on four salad plates. Drizzle each plate with an additional spoonful of dressing and serve. Asparagus and Egg Salad Sandwich Serves 4 This refined sandwich, with its delicate flavors and traditional white bread, is perfect to serve with afternoon tea. Ingredients: 3 large eggs 8 asparagus spears, trimmed 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (page 223) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 slices white or brown bread Small handful watercress, trimmed Instructions: Bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil. Add the eggs and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and plunge the eggs into a bowl of cold water to cool. Meanwhile, fill a skillet with water and bring it to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks. (If you have a steamer, it would be ideal for cooking the asparagus.) Drain and allow the asparagus to cool. Place the mayonnaise in a large bowl. Peel the cooled eggs and chop them coarsely with a knife. Add the eggs to the mayonnaise. Slice the cooled asparagus into B/c-inch pieces and fold them into the mayonnaise. Season with sea salt and pepper. Spread one fourth of the egg-asparagus mayonnaise over a slice of bread. Add a layer of watercress and sandwich with another slice of bread. Use a bread knife to cut the crusts off the bread and then cut the sandwich in half diagonally. Repeat with the remaining bread and filling. Keep It Seasonal Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches . Copyright © by Annie Wayte. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from Keep It Seasonal: Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches by Annie Wayte All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
