Long Live The Irish Green Salad!

• 6 cups mixed greens (or you can use one specific lettuce or greens of choice)
• 1 medium granny smith apple, unpeeled, diced small (use a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar and toss to stop the browning)
• 12 -16 asparagus spears (ends trimmed) or 12 -16 asparagus tips (ends trimmed)
• of fresh mint, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 ounces irish cheddar cheese, cubed small (we love Irish Dubliner)
• 1 small parsnips or 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 -2 large green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons raisins (golden or dark, currants can be substituted, too)
• Dressing
• 1/2 cup whole milk buttermilk
• cream, for thinning (optional, if needed)
• 2 -3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (or plain yogurt)
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

1. Note: I used leftover roasted asparagus spears from the previous night's dinner. Roasted would be preferred over steaming (my personal opinion.).
2. Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together and refrigerate. Best prepared 1 hour in advance of serving.
3. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl except for the bell pepper and raisins. Toss.
4. Take a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter and cut out shapes from the green bell pepper. (You may need an extra bell pepper to do this step.) How to: first slice the bell pepper lengthwise from stem to bottom. Remove seeds and membrane. Cut out shapes.
5. Divide the salad onto 4 salad plates. Garnish with the shamrock-shaped slices of bell pepper; add the raisins.

mixed greens, granny smith apple, mint, cheddar cheese, parsnips, green bell pepper, raisins, dressing, milk buttermilk, cream, apple cider vinegar, sour cream, salt, black pepper

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/long-live-the-irish-green-salad-450678 (may not work)