Sicilian Garden Salad
Last week I went to The Kitchen for lunch again. It's becoming one of my favorite places. I hope it can survive this slow economy. They're running some great lunch and dinner specials right now, so if you're in the area, stop by and check it out. They also do catering. It's at 8977 N. Scottsdale Road, near Doubletree and we want to keep them in business.

While I was there I tried a new salad at the deli counter. It was called a Sicilian Garden Salad and it was delicious.

So delicious, in fact, that I tried to copy it on Friday when I was at home. I didn't copy it exactly, but it turned out pretty well, if I say so myself. Here's a picture of it. These are the ingredients. Just mix them together and chill. It would probably also be good added to a nice cold pasta, but this way it's much lower in carbs. A great picnic salad!

• Marinated artichoke hearts (quartered-with a small amount of the marinade added too)
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Fresh cherry, yellow pear or mini heirloom tomatoes
• Grilled asparagus
• Grilled red or vidalia onion
• Hearts of Palm
• Black or Kalamata olives (pitted)
• Small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese (or sliced string cheese sticks)
• Chopped parsley (it's not in this salad but was in the one I bought and added a lot of freshness)
• Small amounts of Good Balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste
• Fresh ground pepper and salt

Of course, you can leave out anything that you don't like. I would say the artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes add the most flavor. Try it and let me know what you think.