adventures of mascarah.

Summer Strawberry Salad (posted for Erin :))

This is my go-to, hands down #1 summer staple dish. (And Mary, it’s totally one bowl + 1 cutting board!)

Update: Erin suggests substituting agave for sugar in the dressing. I agree with her and will do so in the future. Great idea, Erin!

Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach, rinsed
9-10 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup of walnuts, halved
1/4 cup of crumbled cheese (goat, feta, bleu or gorgonzola all work)

Dressing: (you can use balsamic or strawberry vinaigrette from the store pre-made or you can be adventurous and make your own)

POPPYSEED VINAIGRETTE:

1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup of agave nectar (or honey even, right Mary?)
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tblsp. poppy seeds

In a blender (easiest), place the 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1 cup vegetable oil, and blend until smooth.  Gently stir in by hand the poppy seeds.

or RASPEBERRY VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar
1/2 tsp. mustard
1 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix the vinegar, salt, mustard and pepper together. Drip in the olive oil slowly and mix with whisk until all is combined.

Directions:

Clean the spinach well and trim off stems. Hull the strawberries and cut in half.

In a large bowl, mix the spinach and strawberries. Then add in the walnuts and selected cheese.

Pour dressing over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.