Spring Salad

When Spring officially arrives it rarely feels like there's been a seasonal shift. In Boston, I learned that folks mark the unofficial start of Spring when crocuses pop up, but this always seems to happen much later than you'd want or expect. And in college, Spring Breaks were spent in relatively chilly Rosarito Beach, where we'd desperately seek poolside tans under overcast skies. New to the Bay Area, I'm learning about the local indications of the vernal equinox, and thus far can report a giant increase in thunderstorms, accompanied by blankets of wildflowers that coat the hillsides and median strips. Meanwhile, I'm still wearing sweaters and have the heater cranked at night. The supermarket tells a different story (but this is also the case midwinter, so go figure). I picked up some great looking produce that my husband whipped into a lovely spring salad that's simple and tastes of a warmer place.

Needed:
Mandarins
Cucumber
Fresh Mint, finely chopped
Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt

Task: Chop the mandarins and cucumber into bite-size pieces, and toss in a bowl. Toss in the fresh mint. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, balsamic, and salt into a dressing and toss into the salad.