Two lovely salads from the Pompano Farmers Market

We finally left icy Maryland to arrive in a heat wave in South Florida...85 degrees and sunny!  The first thing I did was head for the Pompano Beach Saturday Green Market.  Such an abundance of fresh vegetables and exotic fruits...all ripe and juicy!  From my gatherings I made two Patricia Wells salads from Vegetable Harvest. 

1. Bistrot Paul Bert's Watercress Salad with Creamy Bacon and Poached Egg
Fresh spicy watercress mixed with sauteed bacon, tossed with a simple dressing of lemon and cream then topped with a poached egg makes a satisfying lunch.  I should have stemmed the watercress  - it was distractingly chewy, but the salad tasted great.  Reminded me of a salade au lardons from Burgundy...yummy and only 340 calories per serving.   For one salad:

• wash and stem a bunch of watercress and place in salad bowl
• dice 2 slices of bacon and saute until crispy, drain on paper towels and toss in bowl with watercress
• mix 1 part lemon to 8 part half and half or light cream (e.g. 1 tablespoon lemon to 1/2 cup cream) adding 2-3 minced chives, salt and pepper
• toss salad with two tablespoons of dressing
• Poach an egg (or microwave an egg for 30 -40 seconds) (until white sets and yellow is runny)
• Place egg on salad

I bought several beautiful, ripe Hass avocadoes and ripe tomatoes, so I made PW's Spring onion, Tomato, Avocado and Basil Salad with Basil-Lemon Dressing.  Absolutely simple and delicious for only 163 calories per serving as a side salad or 400 for a lunch salad (using whole avocado).  To make a lunch salad:

• thinly slice 2 scallions or spring onions, place in salad bowl
• peel and slice one whole avocado (if very ripe, then just chop roughly) and place in bowl
• halve 12-15 cherry tomatoes or roughly chop two ripe medium sized tomatoes
• toss with2 T. chopped basil, 1 part lemon juice to 8 part olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

NB: Recipe used homemade basil oil ....since I didn't have time to make it, I used olive oil and lots of basil.

Loved both recipes....and feel very healthy eating these good things for lunch!