Does salad mean summer?

This afternoon I was telling my friend what I had for lunch today. She asked me what was with all the summer food. Huh? Salad...hummus...summer food. I honestly hadn't even thought of that, though it was quite warm for January today so I guess that could be my excuse. I was just trying to use up the can of garbanzo beans I opened for Madeline almost a week ago (she thinks they are only good for tossing. on my clean floor.). I had made a mental note to make hummus about 3 days back and finally got down to it. Clementines, I said, aren't a summer food. But it was a salad, and salads are summery.

Regardless of if salad means summer, I had an unopened box of spinach and a lunch to make. A lunch that included a salad and hummus on toasted bread with some red peppers for dipping. It was very good. I'll leave it at that - not excusing my summer food - because this honestly took me forever to write up. The left ring finger is a vital component of fast typing, and my left ring finger is currently not at my disposal.

Spinach and Clementine Salad with Vanilla Sugar Almonds
a goodLife {eats} creation

• salad plate full of baby spinach
• 1 Clementine
• 1/3 c dried cherries
• 1 Tbs vanilla sugar almonds (recipe follows)
• dressing (recipe follows)

Peel clementine and slice into rounds. Place spinach on a plate. Top with clementine slices, cherries and almonds. Drizzle with dressing.

vanilla sugar almonds:

• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c almonds

Melt sugar, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in almonds. Spread almonds out on a plate so sugar can harden. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Sprinkle on salads or snack on them.

dressing:

• juice of 1 clementine
• 1 Tbs raspberry vinegar
• 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Wisk all ingredients together. Drizzle over salad.

Sundried Tomato Hummus
a goodLife {eats} creation

• 1 1/2 c garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbs water
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/3 c chopped sundried tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• parsley for garnish, optional

Puree all ingredients, except parsley and sundried tomatoes, in a food processor. Add additional water, if necessary, to get a smooth puree. Add sundried tomatoes and pulse the processor a few more times until tomatoes are incorporated and have been finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkled with parsley, if desired.