A delightful springtime salad of fresh sweet cherries, julienned carrots and celery, pea pods, thinly sliced sweet onion and fresh mint are tossed with a Pacific Rim-style vinaigrette.

Mixed Cherry Vegetable Salad

2 cups fine julienne carrots
1 1/2 cups pitted and halved Northwest fresh sweet cherries
1/2 cup fine julienne celery
1/2 cup diagonally sliced Chinese pea pods
1/4 cup sweet onion, quartered and very thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons very thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
Pacific Rim Dressing (recipe follows)

1. Toss carrots, cherries, pea pods, celery, onion and mint with Pacific Rim Dressing.

Makes 6 servings.

Pacific Rim Dressing: Combine 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon sesame or vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon lime peel and 1/8 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce; mix well. Makes about 1/3 cup.

Recipe provided courtesy Washington State Fruit Commission.