Salads are the ultimate creative dish. With lettuce as the canvas, the possibilities for additions are practically endless. Then, there are the other types of salads that don’t even use lettuce. Just look at the length of some salad bars! This backyard sister’s nightly dinners invariably include some sort of salad. The same is true when we have a gathering of the extended clan. It was just such an occasion, a gathering of the extended clan, that the youngest backyard sister served this roasted vegetable salad. She is one for creating sans recipe but she so kindly shared her salad creation technique.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

• Asparagus, cut into inch long pieces
• Potatoes, cut in to bite size pieces
• Green Beans, whole or cut in half if you like
• Baby Carrots, cut in half lengthwise

Roast these vegetables in enough olive oil to lightly coat and a bit of garlic at 350° until just fork tender, the potatoes will take longer than the others. Everything but potatoes will take about 20-30 minutes and the potatoes will take about 45 minutes.

• Romaine lettuce torn or sliced in to bite size pieces
• Red Onion, thinly sliced and cut in slivers
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

For assembly, tear or slice the lettuce in to bite size pieces. Place the lettuce and the remaining ingredients through the cheese in a salad bowl large enough to have extra room for tossing the salad. Dress with equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar using the amount you prefer for your salads.

The youngest backyard sister simply adds the oil and vinegar straight to the salad. Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: the amounts of the ingredients will depend on how many you are serving, generally one head of romaine lettuce serves 4-6. Also, feel free to substitute other vegetables for roasting: red bell pepper, eggplant, or mushrooms, if any of the others are not to your liking or in season.

There you have it – the steps to a delicious and healthy accompaniment to any meal or maybe even a meal in itself if you are so inclined.

Maybe you have some of these vegetables in your own garden, lucky you if you do.

~ Susan