Little Gem Recipe

Prepare little gem

Trim the stem ends of the little gem lettuce and separate into individual leaves. Rinse under cold water, spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with a kitchen towel. Keep whole leaves or halve lengthwise depending on presentation preference.

Prepare avocado

Cut each avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and score the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes without cutting through the skin. Scoop the cubed flesh out with a spoon and place in a bowl. Immediately toss the avocado gently with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent browning; set aside.

Prepare mango

Peel the mango and slice the cheeks away from the pit. Cut the mango flesh into 1/2-inch dice to roughly match the avocado size. Reserve a few thin slices for garnish if desired; place the diced mango in the same bowl as the avocado and gently combine.

Make dressing

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar until smooth. Whisk in 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a slow steady stream to emulsify. Add 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; taste and adjust seasoning. Fold in 1 tablespoon chopped chives if using. If the dressing is too thick, thin with up to 1–2 tablespoons cold water to reach a pourable consistency.

Combine avocado and mango with dressing

Pour roughly half of the prepared Sauce Adour over the bowl with avocado and mango. Gently fold to coat without breaking up the fruit. Reserve the remaining dressing for drizzling over the lettuce.

Arrange lettuce

Arrange the little gem leaves on a serving platter or individual plates, either whole or halved, with the cut sides up to form little boats.

Fill and finish

Spoon the avocado-mango mixture into the center of each little gem leaf. Drizzle the reserved Sauce Adour lightly over the assembled leaves. Finish with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil drizzled around, sprinkle 2 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds or crushed pistachios over the top, scatter 1/4 cup microgreens or herb leaves if using, and finish with a light pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) coarse sea salt and a crack of black pepper.

Serve

Serve immediately so the little gems remain crisp and the avocado remains fresh. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.