Title: Asparagus Salad with Vinaigrette Chinoise
Categories: Salad Appetizer Vegetable
Yield: 4 Servings

1	lb	Thin asparagus, end trimmed and stalks peeled to the tip, if
1/2		Head red-leaf lettuce
1/4	c	Rice wine vinegar
2	tb	Soy sauce
1/2	ts	Sugar
1/4	ts	Dried red pepper flakes
3	tb	Corn oil
4	ts	Sesame seed oil
		Coarse salt
1	ts	Unsalted butter
1/4	c	Raw sunflower seeds
1	tb	Diagonally sliced green onion, green part only

Slice the asparagus in a long diagonal at 2" intervals. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes, until just tender-crunchy. Drain, refresh under cold running water, then dry carefully with paper towels.

Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper, corn oil, sesame seed oil and salt, to taste. Toss with the asparagus. Cool, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, if desired.

Melt the butter in a small saute pan and stir-fry the sunflower seeds until golden brown. Remove and reserve.

When ready to serve, toss the asparagus and vinaigrette again, arrange on red lettuce leaves on individual salad plates and top with toasted sunflower seeds and sliced green onions.

Susan Bradley, "Pacific Northwest Palate", Posted by Michael Orchekowski

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