Salads, to me, can be a symbol of springtime. Lately I’ve been daydreaming of the produce to come – tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon… the list goes on. With the first hint of the weather turning last weekend, I thought it was only appropriate to throw together a side salad that would resemble the promise of the seasons to come.  I wanted something light to go with the cheese-friendly paninis and thought a chick pea salad would be a just the right fit. I like a little kick of heat in this salad but you can of course remove these ingredients if spiciness doesn’t suit your fancy.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 large pinches salt
• pepper to your liking
• 1 large pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 5 to 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar (eye-ball it and make sure to taste it)
• 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

Assembly: I honestly don’t ever measure when I make salad dressings – so make with caution. Combine everything but the olive oil and whisk until sugar and salt has dissolved. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste for adjustments.

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 bell pepper (color of your choice), chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, minced

Assembly: Combine everything together and top with dressing. I think the salad tastes better if you let it marinate in the fridge for a couple hours before!