Dressed up

Spring has sprung, and it’s time for salads. April is one of South Louisiana’s most prolific produce months, giving culinarians a range of produce that straddles cool and warm seasons. Look for asparagus, leafy spinach, early tomatoes, fresh beets and carrots—all perfect materials for flavorful and healthy salads. Pick up some farmstead feta or chevre, fresh French bread and a bottle of locally made dressing. Serve it in a beautiful, handcrafted bowl and take salad to a soulful new level.

Forget mass-produced salad dressings. Try one of the Baton Rouge-made dressings now on the market, such as Hanley’s Foods’ Sensation dressing and Strawberry Vinaigrette. Re:, another local brand, is a garlicky dressing-marinade that livens up salads, veggies and more. Available at independent grocers and retailers in Baton Rouge.

A great spring salad needs a worthy vessel. Local Josh Wascome creates stunning bowls using different woods from around Louisiana. His bowls are food-safe and coated in mineral oil and beeswax. Wascome shows at the first Saturday arts markets downtown. facebook.com/WascomeWoodworks

Few things are more beautiful on a salad than edible flowers like pansies and nasturtiums. Keep them in a pot indoors and use as stunning, edible garnishes on fresh greens or cold soups. Available at Garden District Nursery, Clegg’s, the Red Stick Farmers Market and other growers.

The Salad Shop owner Bradley Sanchez uses a mezzaluna-like instrument (“half moon” in Italian) to chop salads at his local eatery. A similar two-handled, stainless steel-blade mezzaluna from Williams-Sonoma can be used to chops greens and even hard cheeses and nuts with an easy rocking motion.