Celery, Leek, and Carrot Mimosa

Sometimes some realy simple ingredients are what I crave. Here is an example. The celery and leek are julienned and blanched, the small carrots are blanched whole. The vegetables are arranged on ruby greens-does that sound oxymoronic?, because it is really just red lettuce. the vegetables are topped with chopped hard cooked egg and toasted Hazelnuts.

The salad is dressed with:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/3 cup hazelnut oil

Salt and pepper

Chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

Stir well before drizzling over the salad

Mimosa doesn't always mean Champagne and orange juice and everyone's favorite breakfast drink. The Food Lover's Companion describes it thusly "A garnish so named because it resembles the yellow mimosa flower. Consisting of finely chopped, hardcooked egg yolk, it is sprinkled over salads and vegetables." I added the egg whites as well and the hazelnuts on my own.