Warm up for spring salad season

The holiday season sped by and along with it went the heavy comfort foods and sinful desserts that I'm sure we all over-indulged in. Now, as we start daydreaming about the return of spring and its cool, flavorful salads, some transitional fare is just the ticket to carry us through the rest of the winter.

The following recipe satiates the desire for a lighter dish while retaining the deep flavors that are most comforting during cooler seasons. There are many takes on the "black and bleu" salad and this is mine. The roasted fingerling potatoes are tender, the caramelized mushrooms and onions are sweet and earthy, and the blue cheese and Dijon balsamic vinaigrette lend a nice bite. The peppery steak fulfills the need for winter heartiness, while the thin cut maintains the lightness we crave after so many rich holiday foods.

What a perfect way to start easing back into the salad season.

Peppery Balsamic Steak Salad

4-6 hand-sized, very thinly cut slices (scaloppini style) of steak, doesn't matter what kind

8-10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

6-8 fingerling potatoes, halved

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1⁄3 cup sundried tomatoes, julienne sliced

1 small yellow or purple onion, sliced

Balsamic vinegar

2 cups baby green salad mix

2 cups arugula

Olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Crumbled blue cheese to taste

Potatoes:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place halved potatoes in a baking dish and coat generously with olive oil and mix. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until tender and starting to brown. Mix once or twice during roasting to prevent sticking.

Dressing:

In a jar use 1⁄3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 cup olive oil. Put a lid on it and shake.

Salad:

Sprinkle steak with coarse sea salt, a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and coat with balsamic vinegar, set aside. Over med-high heat, coat a pan in olive oil and add onion. When onion starts to turn translucent, turn heat down to medium low until caramelized. Remove from pan and cool to room temperature*. Re-heat to med-high, coat in olive oil and caramelize mushrooms, add salt and pepper, remove from pan and cool to room temperature. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over high heat.

In the meantime toss greens, tomato, onion, mushrooms, a pinch of sea salt, and blue cheese. Coat salad with dressing (you won't use all of the dressing, just enough to coat - save the rest in the fridge) and toss.

Lightly coat skillet with olive oil and sear steak on both sides quickly. Fan steak pieces in the middle of a plate (2-3 per person) and mound salad on top. Serve.

* Be sure to cool potatoes, onions, and mushrooms to room temperature or the lettuce will wilt.

• Sara Hull believes strongly in supporting local agriculture by cooking healthy food purchased from local sources. She writes the blog "There's Dirt on My Food," which can be followed at theresdirtonmyfood.wordpress.com/