Out with the winter mesclun and in with the new! Warm weather and a gorgeous farmer's market mean that I'm concocting a taste bud-popping, truly unique salad. Carrot tops and tarragon, anyone? Put away that iceberg and start tending to your pots of herbs.  --Brooke Parkhurst

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Seasonal Herb Salad
Serves 2

2 tbsp. slivered almonds
2 tbsp.  Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
handful celery leaves (green leaves and tender yellow leaves from interior)
handful carrot tops (green leaves)
5 sprigs tarragon, freshly picked
2 tbsp.  chives, minced
6 sprigs chervil, freshly picked
4 oz. young Manchego*
1 roasted red pepper or bottled pepper
1-2 tsp. white wine vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

*optional special equipment for finely slicing cheese--a vegetable peeler

In a 325° oven, toast almond slivers until colored and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.

In a large bowl filled with cool water, submerge parsley, celery leaves and carrot tops. Let them chill and get really nice and clean, with all the dirt sinking to the bottom of the bowl while the leaves float to the top. As the greens are soaking, gently clean and dry (on a paper towel) the tarragon, chives and chervil.

Transfer greens to a kitchen towel and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine all greens and herbs: chopped parsley, celery and carrot-top leaves, tarragon and chervil sprigs, and chopped chives. Toss with 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar, 2-3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

To plate: Place strips or a whole piece of roasted red pepper on plate. Arrange a little hill of greens on top of roasted pepper and sprinkle with 1 tbsp.  almonds. With vegetable peeler, shave a generous portion of Manchego on top of herb salad. Gorgeous, simple--I bet you'll be the first one to serve this at a dinner party or lunch!