Citrus Edamame Salad

One of my guilty pleasures is to spend a Friday night playing Frank Sinatra, lighting candles, pouring a glass of wine, and cooking a classy dinner.  The atmosphere, ambiance, and decor of your dining experience can make a meal even more enjoyable than the meal itself.  Growing up, my family and I always looked for restaurants with live music, the cafe that's just too cute to resist, and the unbelievably romantic wine bar. Today, we are Tommy Courtney's groupies (a singer at a local restaurant we all are madly in love with) and the ultimate winos.

So, as soon as I heard the whole family would be joining us for dinner on Friday, I automatically went to work. A lot of planning goes into a dinner party. You need an impeccable table cloth, matching plates, and an adorable flower arrangement.  Nance (aka Mom) cut the hydrangeas from the backyard and I set the table. You can't have a dinner party without a lovely dinner so, we sliced up some zucchini, threw chicken onto the grill, and boiled a pot of pasta. Now for the appetizers! It needed to be something so crisp, so delicious, just so perfect.

Citrus Edamame Salad

Ingredients:

For salad:
1 bag arugula
1/2 bag salad mix
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup frozen corn

For Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine arugula and salad mix.
2. Slice the fennel and red onion, then add to the lettuce mixture.
3. Add the edamame and corn. Mix well.
4. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Toss onto lettuce and mix.
5. Garnish salad bowl with lemon and lime slices.

Serve as an appetizer or side for your next dinner party.