Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Day Fifty - Eight : A salad for a veritable summer day in the beginning of April

Today's high was 78 degrees and it is April 6th, sound bizarre to you? Sounds like global warming rearing its head to me. Don't get me wrong, I do not mind in the slightest! As the temperatures creep up, I seem to crave a diet of salads, sorbets, frozen yogurts, fruits, and gazpacho -- light and airy foods that do not leave you feeling heavy after you have ingested them!

So I thought since I was wearing a little silk sundress and just a cardigan in the beginning of April, no coat, no hat or anything, I had to give you all one of my favorite summer salad recipes. This is perfect to bring to a picnic in the park or to have while sunbathing on the beach -- its got fruits, vegetables, cheese, and nuts all tossed together into one dish, simple, delish, and nutritious.

The ingredients for the salad are:
Baby Spinach
Sliced Fresh Strawberries
Slivered roasted almonds
Gorgonzola Dolce - The sweeter and younger sibling of its more piquant and grownup relatives. This cheese has that blue cheese-ness while maintaining a creamy, crumblyness all at once. If you are not the biggest blue cheese fan, this baby is not overwhelming but is delish and packs a nice subtle punch! Perfect with all the other ingredients of the salad.
Poppy seeds - I know this might sound bizarre but the slight crunch and tang of the poppy seeds adds an excellent dimension to the salad, nutritious and delish.

The salad is topped with a homemade shallot vinaigrette which is simply a sauteed shallot mixed with extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, and Maille's Honey Dijon Mustard - sweet and savory, a perfect dressing for the ingredients of this salad.

Toss everything together and serve with a crisp white like a Sancerre. Enjoy the weather ladies and gents!

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