This photo taken Jan. 10. 2010 shows an arranged asparagus and apple salad with prosciutto and goat cheese sporting a pair of skis in a nod to alpine skiing. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
Get ready to hit the slopes. A mountain of soft white goat cheese paired with asparagus spear "skis" makes for a fine arranged salad reminiscent of Alpine skiing.
ASPARAGUS AND APPLE SALAD WITH PROSCIUTTO AND GOAT CHEESE
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
8-ounce log chevre (goat cheese)
8 spears asparagus, bottoms trimmed
2 scallions
4 slices prosciutto
1 medium green apple, quartered and cored
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Cut the log of goat cheese into quarters, arranging each on a serving plate.
In a medium saucepan over high, bring 3 inches of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until the spears are bright green and just tender when pierced with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and cover in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again, and dry the spears.
Lean 2 asparagus spears on each portion of goat cheese. Cut each scallion in half lengthwise. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around a quarter of apple and tie with a length of scallion. Place on top of the asparagus "skis".
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard and honey. Drizzle over each salad.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 367 calories; 248 calories from fat; 28 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 37 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 3 g fiber; 741 mg sodium.