For our last home pre-concert meal, I decided that roasted veggies would be a lovely addition. But after the whole menu was set I realized that there wasn’t one ounce of crisp in the entire meal. Wrong. Just wrong. On several levels. So I thought about the roasted veggies and what I could do to give them some crunch. So I looked up roasted veggie salad recipes on the internet. And I found all kinds of recipes for salads with roasted vegetables. Lovely! So I perused a few and came up with this assortment of ingredients based on Tori Avey’s recipe for Grilled Vegetable Salad. (Thank you Tori.)

Now I realize romaine isn’t all that crisp, but it is better than no crisp, so in it went. I didn’t know how roasted and raw veggies would work together, but this combination seemed to be meant for each other. (And yes I know, cooked beets are frequently used in fresh salads. But you have to remember, I’m getting older. Sometimes it takes me awhile to put 2 and 2 together!)

But whatever, this salad was very well received, and I plan to try more combinations of cooked and raw ingredients.

And speaking of cooked beets in a salad, give my Beets in a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette or Remolacha a try. Both are a delicious way to feature the amazing Beta vulgaris. Happy munching.

Dressing:

• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. honey
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or container. Whisk or shake until smooth, creamy, and emulsified. Set aside or refrigerate, if making ahead.

Salad:

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 bunch asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths on the diagonal
• 1 orange pepper, cut into bite sized chunks
• ½ red onion, cut in half and then into thin quarter slices
• 2-3 c. frozen corn, defrosted and laid out on paper towels to dry
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 c. chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ c. chopped fresh basil leaves

Place the zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle the veggies with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a pre-heated 425 degree oven (convection if you have the option) for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the veggies from pan and allow to cool in a salad bowl.

Place the orange bell pepper and onion on the same pan, drizzle with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the veggies from pan and allow to cool with the other veggies.

Place the corn on the same pan, drizzle with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 8 minutes or until some of the kernels are turning light brown. Remove the corn from pan and allow to cool with the other veggies.

When all the veggies are room temperature, add the romaine, cherry tomato halves, and cut basil leaves to the salad bowl. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to thoroughly coat all the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Please note: You can make the dressing and roast the veggies ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Before you plan to serve the salad, remove the dressing and roasted veggies from the fridge. Allow enough time for both the dressing and veggies to come to room temperature.