Ah summer. When I was a kid summer was THE BEST. School was out, the weather was great, there were more things to do and everyone had plenty of time. I grew up in Michigan, and summer was definitely my favorite time of year. I remember swimming and bonfires and camping and FOOD. It was magical. We even ate differently in the summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful, whereas they really weren't even available throughout the rest of the year.

As I grew older I somehow lost that summer magic. I moved to southern California with my husband and 3 kids, and summer became just another season, so much like the other seasons. I did my best to create the magic while my kids were young, but by the time they were grown it was gone.

Last year I caught myself dreading summer, and actually heard myself saying the words, "I hate summer." I realized it was time for an intervention. I made a "Summer To Do List" and forced myself to get out there and have fun. I went to the beach, enjoyed Shakespeare in the park, picnicked, swam, watched movies under the stars and ate homemade lavender ice cream AND recruited lots of friends and family to do it all with me. Summer was back! It was such a valuable lesson, as I learned that I have to continue to create my life, my fun.

So as June 21st approaches I've started my new Summer To Do List. I really don't need it anymore, but I'll keep it there as a reminder to create, to enjoy, to have fun.

This blog is part of that. Those of you who know me know that I love good food, and I love to share it with people I love. In an effort to try new things and eat healthily, I've challenged myself to make and share 60 Salads of Summer. My daughter Danica, who is a very creative cook, is helping me. And we're looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor. I can't promise they'll all be healthy, but I can promise they'll all be delicious. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

17. Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Avocado with Raspberry Vinaigrette























One of the great things about this blogging experience is that friends send me suggestions, and I end up with ideas that I might not have come up with on my own.  This is one of those salads.  A friend of mine tagged me on Facebook with a similar salad she’d seen on Pinterest.  It was beautiful.  As I was reading the ingredients I realized there was no way I’d make the dressing “as-is,” but decided I’d have to add my own twist.  I threw everything together and crossed my fingers, and voila!  DELICIOUS.  

I love this salad.  So much flavor.  The blue cheese and strawberries are at opposite ends of the spectrum, sweet on one side and salty/pungent on the other.  I used roasted Marcona almonds that are very crunchy, and nicely complement the creamy smoothness of the avocado.  Finally I decided on a raspberry vinaigrette.  I used an aged balsamic infused with raspberries from the Ojai Olive Oil Company.  OMG.  It was perfect.   If you can’t find raspberry balsamic vinegar, use a good, aged balsamic.  

Ingredients

6 cups baby spinach (one bag)
1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 lb strawberries, trimmed and sliced into thick pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz good blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup roasted Marcona almonds

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar*
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Toss all of the ingredients into a large bowl.  

Blend the dressing.  You can whisk or shake in a covered jar; I used a blender and it was the perfect consistency.  Dress the salad lightly (you may not need all of the dressing).  Serve immediately.

6 servings

*I've shared this link before (peach balsamic vinegar).  The raspberry is out of this world.   Seriously, check out these vinegars!!  http://www.ojaioliveoil.com/product-p/bv-rasp.htm

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)