Spring Salad

This salad started out (as many great salads do) by checking to see what produce looked really fantastic.  Wilty, underipe, scrawny, or otherwise unappealing produce was left at the store.  I also decided to leave out some of the things we always eat (carrots, romaine, spinach, cheddar) in favor of some different (if not new) flavors.  It seems our tongues tone down flavors we are accustomed to in the same way that our eyes will reduce the intensity of a color we look at for a prolonged period of time.  (Expiriment--Grab a bright colored shirt, book, whatever.  Make sure it is one solid color.  Cover half of it with black construction paper.  Stare at it for three or four minutes, then remove the black construction paper.  Surprised?)  I digress.

Anyway, here's the recipe.  With the exception of the cucumber it is all stuff that we could theoretically have here by mid-spring without shipments from Chile, California or Australia.


one butterhead lettuce, washed and torn
one large bunch fresh basil
one cup pea sprouts (alfalfa or bean would work too)
1/3-1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, cut in strips, preferably packed in olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
one sweet onion, sliced and rings separated
one small cucumber, sliced
3-6 ounces good soft goat cheese (chevre)
1/3-1/2 cup toasted pecans

Add favorite dressing