Seasonal Greens with Fresh Lemon, Honey and Avocado

I miss taking pictures for my photography class. So I took out my camera and then got carried away taking pictures of this salad I made today, so it would seem a shame to waste them.

Mizuna greens are still in season, and this salad is so cooling and tasty, you might just eat the entire thing like I nearly did.

I got White Frills mizuna at the market on Saturday from Let Us Farm, and I immediately thought about this salad I used to make all the time--a kale and avocado salad with this lemon-honey dressing that went perfectly with kale's slightly bitter flavor. White Frills mizuna has a hint of peppery wasabi but it's so mild, you almost have to eat the greens raw to experience it. I knew the hint of wasabi would be perfect with avocados and lemon, but really, what isn't good with that combo?

The White Frills was in big bunches. In this picture half of it had already been used, a good deal, I'd say at the market. If you don't have mizuna for this salad, you can also use kale or turnip greens. You need to chop the leaves very, very thin.

Get organic lemons for this because you'll need the zest which is the outer peel. And who wants pesticide traces in their salad?

Two small lemons is all you need. If it's a large lemon you could get by with one, but I got two small lemons for $1.40, still not terribly expensive if you compare prices of salad dressings today.

And the honey--add your favorite to taste. Some people prefer more tart; some more sweet. I added about a tablespoon of honey.

And don't forget the avocado. I used two small ones.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon-Honey and Avocado Salad with Seasonal Greens

This salad is best enjoyed soon after making it. Make it with kale and it keeps for a day, maybe two at the most, but softer greens like mizuna should be eaten right after it is made.

2 organic lemons, juice and zest (about 1/2 cup lemon juice)

Honey

Olive oil

1 large or 2 small avocados (preferably Haas variety), seeded, peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 to 8 cups greens, thinly sliced (use mizuna, kale or mustard greens)

Wild flowers, strawberries or toasted pecans or walnuts

Blend the lemon juice, zest, honey and olive oil together. Add the avocado, salt and freshly ground pepper. Gently mix into the greens. Top with wild flowers, berries or toasted nuts.

When the weather is hot, this salad makes a perfect meal.

Pansies are pretty but they don't taste like much, but I also had a few arugula flowers that were to die for.

Somebody likes salad.

Even the dogs were hot on this first warm day in the Northwest, funny how the sun can be too much for the hounds.

He's not a warm weather dog, but a Seattleite all the way through. The boy liked the greens a bit but he went crazy for the strawberries. I had about four and almost added them as an afterthought. I've made this salad with apples, pears, added blue cheese and dried sour pie cherries.

Add something exotic to this salad. Have fun.