Green Goddess Salad With Shrimp

I am a huge believer in eating what's in season. It ensures you eat a variety of fruits and veggies, and can help you save money, because it's cheaper to buy what's fresh at the farmer's market than to pony up the big bucks for foreign produce at the grocery store (not to mention the environmental impact of shipping fruit from South America.) That said, sometimes, in the midst of winter, when days are cold and nights are long, you crave a bright bit of summer. Rules are made to be broken, and when I saw the fresh tarragon in the produce aisle, well, I couldn't resist.

Green goddess dressing is really easy to make and easily adaptable to whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Parsley is always available, and so are green onions, so you just need to find one more flavor component to make your dressing zing. Tarragon is my favorite, but other recipes I've seen feature basil or even arugula. And don't leave out the anchovy paste! If you've never used it before, don't be scared - it adds a salty, almost soy sauce flavor, and isn't fishy or gross. A tube of it will keep in your fridge forever, and I keep it handy for Caesar salad.

You could easily sub out the shrimp in the salad for cooked chicken, canned tuna, or hard-boiled eggs for you vegetarians out there. This salad is terrific during the summer when herbs are plentiful, and a real treat in the depths of winter.

Green Goddess Salad With Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh raw shrimp (I used 21-25, but smaller or larger is fine)
• 1 large bag salad greens of your choice (at least 3 oz. salad per person)
• 1 small red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 tablespoons toasted pepitas (optional)

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• juice of one lemon
• a 2-inch-long squeeze of anchovy paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 green onions, white and green parts
• 3 tablespoons parsley, or more
• 2 tablespoons tarragon, or more

Directions:

1. Make the dressing: I just put everything in the food processor. Yup, it was that easy. Blend it all up, taste it - does it need more tarragon? More lemon? More anchovy? Fix it, blend it, taste again. Once you have it perfect, put it in the fridge to chill while you make the salad.
2. Shell the shrimp. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter, and add shrimp. Salt them and cook for about 90 seconds, or until pink on the bottom. Flip the shrimp and cook for another minute or two until opaque and hot through. Be careful not to overcook or the shrimp will get tough and rubbery.
3. Add the pepitas and shrimp to the salad and dress liberally with the green goddess dressing and fresh cracked pepper.

We ate this with pita chips and some hummus for a light and fantastic supper!