Long Live The Irish Green Salad! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 cups mixed greens (or you can use one specific lettuce or greens of choice)
1 medium granny smith apple, unpeeled, diced small (use a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar and toss to stop the browning)
12 -16 asparagus spears (ends trimmed) or 12 -16 asparagus tips (ends trimmed)
of fresh mint, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 ounces irish cheddar cheese, cubed small (we love Irish Dubliner)
1 small parsnips or 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
1 -2 large green bell pepper
3 tablespoons raisins (golden or dark, currants can be substituted, too)
Dressing
1/2 cup whole milk buttermilk
cream, for thinning (optional, if needed)
2 -3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sour cream (or plain yogurt)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Note: I used leftover roasted asparagus spears from the previous night's dinner. Roasted would be preferred over steaming (my personal opinion.).
Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together and refrigerate. Best prepared 1 hour in advance of serving.
Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl except for the bell pepper and raisins. Toss.
Take a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter and cut out shapes from the green bell pepper. (You may need an extra bell pepper to do this step.) How to: first slice the bell pepper lengthwise from stem to bottom. Remove seeds and membrane. Cut out shapes.
Divide the salad onto [4] salad plates. Garnish with the shamrock-shaped slices of bell pepper; add the raisins.