Salad with Fresh Garlic and Ume Yogurt Dressing

A quick late spring main dish salad for one that takes advantage of the availability of fresh (not dried) garlic that can be found in farmer's markets for the next couple of weeks in our area.

Salad with Fresh Garlic and Ume Yogurt Dressing
(To serve 1; can be scaled)
Lettuce or mixed greens (your choice)
2-4 spring onions, cleaned and sliced into 1/2" lengths
2-3 fresh garlic cloves, sliced very thin
2 oz Jarlsberg or similar cheese, cut into small pieces

For Dressing
2 Tbsp Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp ume paste (Japanese plum paste)
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp capers

Tear lettuce into a bowl. Sprinkle spring onions, garlic slices, and cheese over the lettuce. Combine dressing ingredients and spoon over.

Eating Notes: The dish entices just from eye appeal, as the ume paste turns the dressing a soft pink that complements the soft yellow of the cheese and stands out against the greens. Little glimpses of green capers add visual interest. The tastes mirror the experience, with the sauce having a sweet tang from the ume/horseradish combination set against the smooth yogurt base and offset by the fresh greens and the chewy cheese.

This was sufficient for a main course on a hot night when I wasn't extremely hungry. It also could have served as a side with any number of entrees.