Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Nothing says spring like fresh asparagus with my favorite orange vinaigrette. Place the asparagus, side by side, with small grape vine tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction, olive oil and fresh oregano for a winning combination. The vibrant colors alone will awaken your taste buds in anticipation for other amazing summer vegetables yet to come. Food after all, is to be savored with all the senses. The above picture speaks for itself and here's the vinaigrette recipe!

Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 pound fresh asparagus
zest of 1/2 orange
juice of 1/2 orange
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard with seeds
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoon light olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, mix the orange juice, orange zest, honey, mustard and vinegar. Gradually whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rinse the asparagus and break off the hard part of the stem. Add to boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus. Test one as to not overcook. Shock the asparagus in ice water to stop the cooking process and help retain the vibrant color. Drain and wrap in a paper towel to remove excess water. Drizzle with the orange vinaigrette and sprinkle with orange zest for garnish.

For the tomatoes, simply cut in quarters, sprinkle with roughly chopped fresh oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Then, drizzle a small amount of reduced balsamic vinegar and season with salt.