Someone Show Old Man Winter the Door!

I'm a four seasons type of person, and I'm not talking about the hotel chain — although I'm pretty sure I could be persuaded in that area if the budget allowed. As a rule, I'm usually nostalgic about the beautiful fall leaves being blown from the trees only until that first beautiful snowfall makes everything sparkle like a fairyland, while happy to see those first spring buds when the trees look like they're dressed in cotton candy and even on through the heat of summer, when my garden and lawn are at their full depth of color and lushness. 

Fast forward to this year... I'm done with winter, OK? D-O-N-E! It's April... the last full week of April, even. And, incredibly, our beautiful flowering trees and those other messengers of spring, tulips and jonquils, are now being threatened by a late-season freeze. I'm not talking about an hour hovering close to the freezing mark. Oh no! I'm talking about a forecast of snow flurries and temperature of 30 degrees overnight. Show of hands... who didn't get the memo that sweaters would be required the day after mowing the lawn? That rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, lied through his fat cheeks and buck teeth. Oh, the humanity! Problem is, I'm old... and stubborn. Changing course, direction or, more importantly, mood requires more than one cold night. 

I'm committed to spring, and it's full steam ahead... and that includes food. I'm ready for farmers' market vegetables, those that still have dirt clods on them and smell earthy. Unfortunately, it's still going to be a while before I'm free from spending time in the produce section of the supermarket, trying to divine if that tomato is going to taste like an Heirloom or paper mache or from scrubbing my cucumbers to remove that waxy feel so I can feel good about eating the skin. However, I'm determined to have some facsimile of springtime in my diet. And, with that, I give you my antipasto salad. 

This is a perfect winter-spring limbo dish. There's plenty of summer vegetables, with hearty ham in a freshly made sweet vinaigrette.

The nice thing is the ingredients can be whatever your personal taste dictates. This is made with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, thinly sliced cucumber and summer squash, three kinds of olives (Spanish, black and Kalamata), two types of onions (pearl and red), julienne-cut carrots, chopped celery, cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus (blanched), banana peppers, chopped parsley, thinly sliced ham, three types of cheese (cubed mozzarella and cheddar, and crumbled feta) and bowtie pasta, cooked al dente. Possibilities also include red, yellow and green bell pepper, zucchini, salami and radishes, as well as different types of pasta.

The vinaigrette is 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 oz white wine vinegar, 3 oz extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp Italian season mix and 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, all well blended. Pour over the full mix of vegetables and toss well. One person described it as a "party in my mouth." Easy to make, it's best made ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld and will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. Serve with seasoned crackers, as I did here, or garlic bread. Or, if you're unwilling to defy Mother Nature, it would even be good with onion or tomato soup.