Spring Greens salad with Chive Flowers

Spring greens are planted in early spring and their fresh taste only lasts until the heat sets in. Plants like spinach and leafy lettuces will start to “bolt” when the temperature rises, and their fleeting presence will be gone. Bolting means that the plant prepares to flower and go to seed by shooting upright and the leaves become bitter and inedible.

Enjoy the taste of spring with whatever greens you have growing in your garden. I used spinach, arugula, and baby kale in my salad pictured in this post. I harvested the flowering chives and sprinkled the flowers over the greens, leaving some whole for presentation. The flowers taste just like the chives and give a nice slight oniony flavor to the salad.

Honey Lime Dressing

This light sweet dressing is a perfect paring to the peppery earthy flavors of the greens. Just whisk together the ingredients below and you will have enough dressing for two 3-4 cup servings of salad greens.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt