Simple Summer Asparagus Salad

Dave and I have been making use of the new BBQ we set up on our apartment balcony and the other day I made the tastiest asparagus salad that I thought I should share.

Ingredients

• bunch of asparagus
• 1/3 cup of herbed goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
• package of mixed greens
• salt and pepper

1. Wash and snap asparagus stems where they naturally break, then pat dry
2. Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus spears and grill them on the BBQ until tender – you want them to turn bright green without losing their firmness
3. While the asparagus cools, prepare a simple balsamic vinaigrette, using 1 chopped clove of garlic, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Toast the almond slices in your toaster oven until they turn golden brown – watch them closely so they don’t burn
5. Lay asparagus over a bed of mixed greens, top with crumbled herbed goat cheese, drizzle on the balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle the almonds over top

Laying it out simply on a long rectangular platter made for beautiful presentation, even though it took a whole of 15 minutes to prepare!