The addition of avocado and quinoa make this bright and colourful butter leaf salad with mustard vinaigrette a beautiful summer lunch. 

I have officially packed my last preschool snack.  Insert tears here... then a smile... and maybe even a little kitchen jig.

Now that school is over for the summer, it's time to put the bento lunch boxes away.  Bring on the pool parties, play dates, picnics and potlucks.

Perfect.

I LOVE potlucks.  One of my greatest joys in life is being surrounded by a diverse group of people who are surrounded by a diverse offering of sustenance.  A group of interesting folks with a common (or maybe uncommon) thread, smiling, storytelling and breaking bread.  Joy.  I appreciate though, for some, the words "Oh just bring whatever" can instil a sense of panic and anxiety.  What to bring, what to bring.

Throw "summer potluck ideas" into Pinterest and it will throw a 14,345 salad recipes right back at you.  And about 14,243 of them will look the same.  I am going to share some tips on how you can up your salad game both in presentation and taste.

1.  Put it on a plate, not a bowl.  In a bowl, all the heavy stuff falls to the bottom.  Consider serving with a pie or pastry server.

2.  Use a formula. (no surprise from the math girl)  Leafy Green + two veg + one protein + one cheese + one nut/seed + one garnish = done.

3.  Add edible blooms.  Easily available ones  like chive flowers, lavender blooms, pansies, arugula flowers, thyme flowers are all a go to of mine.

4.  Dressing on the side.  ALWAYS homemade.  It's just too easy.  Decide on creamy or clear and go from there.  If all else fails simply drizzle the greens with white vinegar, olive oil (or walnut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil), squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper.

5.  Salt and Pepper.  ALWAYS.  Generous and always.

For this butter leaf salad with mustard vinaigrette I followed pretty much all of the rules above.  I didn't add a cheese but chose avocado for a rich/fat element.  Quinoa was my protein and was nutty enough to provide some texture.  Had I not added the quinoa, I would have topped it with some lightly toasted walnuts or sesame seeds.  The mustard vinaigrette came out of an attempt to rid my fridge of the seven half open different mustard varietals.  I used pea shoots and lavender blossoms for garnish.  The pea shoots added a light and airy feel to the salad and the purple blossoms just pop against the butter lettuce.

So as we head into the beautiful season of al fresco dining, consider upping your salad game using the formula.  Would love to hear how you make out!

Happy pot lucking!

Butter Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Author: Food Well Said

The addition of avocado and quinoa make this bright and colourful butter leaf salad with mustard vinaigrette a beautiful summer lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 head butter leaf lettuce
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, shaved thin
• 1 medium avocado, sliced into thin wedges
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon agave or honey
• 1 small shallot, minced
• pinch of salt and pepper
• lavender blooms and/or pea shoots for garnish

Instructions

1. For the salad, start by spreading out the butter leaf lettuce on a large platter. Gently sprinkle the cooked quinoa over the leaves, lightly tossing with your hands. Layer the remaining ingredients - the radishes, red onion and avocado on top of the lettuce.
2. For the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot and salt and pepper in a small mason jar. Shake vigorously to combine well.
3. Sprinkle the salad with a generous serving of salt and cracked pepper and lightly drizzle some of the dressing over the lettuce, just before serving. Place the remainder of the dressing on the table to add as desired.
4. Sprinkle salad with blooms and pea shoots. Serve and enjoy.

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