Asparagus Salad with Vinaigrette Chinoise

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Title: Asparagus Salad with Vinaigrette Chinoise
Categories: Salads
Yield: 4 servings

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

(From "Pacific Northwest Palate," by Susan Bradley.)

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.

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