Green Salad with Sweet Basil Poppyseed Dressing and Prosciutto Crisps

This lovely salad speaks of springtime!

Serves 4

Prosciutto Crisps

4 slices prosciutto

Dressing

3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) orange juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely sliced fresh basil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) poppyseeds

12 spears asparagus, blanched or marinated

5 oz (142 g) mesclun greens or other delicate spring greens

8 dried figs, or fresh when available, sliced

1 orange, rind cut off with a knife and cut into segments

1 small block Parmesan cheese, for shaving

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Lay the prosciutto slices on the paper, being careful not to overlap them. Bake, uncovered, for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. The slices will crisp as they cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, basil, garlic and poppyseeds. Set aside.

On a plate, lay three spears of asparagus and three orange segments. Top with a handful of mesclun greens and some fig slices. Finely shave over some fresh parmesan. Drizzle over some dressing and top with parmesan crisp. Repeat for the remaining three portions.