Combine cucumber, avocado and mango with a salty-sweet dressing for a taste of the tropics.

Ingredients:

• 5 tsp fish sauce
• 3 tsp freshly grated lime zest, plus more for garnish
• 6 Tab lime juice
• 3 Tab canola oil
• 2 Tab light brown sugar
• 1 Tab rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 medium English cucumber, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 3 avocado, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 3 mango, cut into 3/4-inch dice (see Kitchen Tip)
• 3/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Whisk fish sauce , lime zest, lime juice, oil, brown sugar, vinegar and crushed red pepper in a large bowl until combined.
2. Add cucumber, avocado, mango and cilantro; gently toss to coat.
3. Serve garnished with lime zest, if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Kitchen Tip: To peel and cut a mango:

1. Slice both ends off the mango, revealing the long, slender seed inside.
2. Set the fruit upright on a work surface and remove the skin with a sharp knife.
3. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the seed, yielding two large pieces.
4. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces of fruit from each side.
5. Cut the fruit into the desired shape.

Serves:   8

Source:  Villa Park Women’s League:  Exploring the Fresh Tastes of Mexico

This salad is just as tasty with green asparagus, but not as fancy.  And you know, scallions are just little green onions!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh white asparagus
• 1 ½ pound scallions
• ½ c extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tab red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt, or more if needed
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 5 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
• 10 butter lettuce leave for serving (depending on your party size)

Directions:

Cooking the Vegetables:

1. With a vegetable peeler, shave off the skin from the bottom 3 inches or so of each stalk, so they cook evenly.
2. Snap off the hard stubs at the bottom of the asparagus stalks—they will break naturally at the right point.
3. Trim the root end of each scallion and the wilted ends of the green leaves.
4. Peel off the loose layers at the white end too, so the scallions are all tight, trim, and about 6 inches long.
5. In a wide deep skillet, bring 1 quart of water (or enough to cover the vegetables) to a boil, blanch the
   scallions then remove from the water to a colander.
6. Add the asparagus to that same boiling water.
7. Run cold water over the scallions to stop the cooking, remove to a mixing bowl.
8. Adjust the heat to maintain a bubbling boil, and poach the asparagus, uncovered, for about 6 minutes or more, until they are tender but not falling apart, and cooked through but not mushy. To check doneness, pick up an asparagus spear in the middle with tongs; it should be a little droopy but not collapsing.
9. As soon as they are done, lift out the asparagus with tongs and lay them in a colander (any fat asparagus spears may take a little longer, so leave them in a few minutes more).
10. Hold the colander under cold running water to stop the cooking.
11. Drain briefly.
12. Spread on kitchen towels, pat dry,
13. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon salt over them.

Making the Salad

1. Slice the asparagus and the scallions into 1-inch lengths.
2. Pile them loosely in a mixing bowl.
3. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over them
4. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper.
5. Toss well, but don’t break up the vegetables.
6. Quarter the eggs into wedges.
7. Slice each wedge into two or three pieces.
8. Salt lightly.
9. Scatter the egg in the bowl, and fold in with the vegetables.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
11. Chill the salad briefly.
12. Arrange in butter lettuce cups on salad plates.

Serves: 8 – 10

Source:  Villa Park Women’s League Gourmet

The Villa Park Women’s League Dinners come with tested recipes. This is from January 2015, A Taste of San Francisco.

Always a crowd pleaser.  Traditionally mixed table-side.

Ingredients:  

• 4 slices French or sourdough bread cut into cubes
• 4 T melted butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 crushed garlic cloves

Salad

• 1 crushed garlic cloves-more to taste
• 1 large or 2 small heads romaine lettuce
• 8 T olive oil
• ½ t anchovy paste or whole anchovy filets (OR Substitute 1 t soy sauce)
• juice of one lemon (3 T)
• salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 coddled egg
• ~1/2 C grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. To make croutons, sauté the bread cubes in butter and olive oil adding 3 of the garlic cloves to the pan.
2. Turn until crispy and brown on all sides,
3. Drain on paper towel. As an alternative, the ingredients can all be placed into a baking dish, tossed and baked on 350° until crisp—about 7 minutes or until browned.
4. Toss again once during baking.
5. Rub a glass bowl with the remaining garlic.
6. Add the torn romaine.
7. Toss with the remaining olive oil.
8. Then the remaining ingredients in order given.
9. Serve immediately.
   NOTE: This serves ~6 people. Due to the different party sizes, please adjust quantity to your sized party. For drama, this could be done table-side

Serves: 6

Source:  Villa Park Women’s League Gourmet