Friday, June 11, 2010

Spinach Strawberry Salad

June = strawberries + strawberry picking. Sun-ripened fruit, warm to the touch. Small sweet berries, ready to pop in your mouth. Juice dribbling down fingers and onto shirts. Images of my daughter and friends eagerly searching for perfect berries to pluck and put into their cartons or buckets. More recently, my father-in-law, wide brimmed hat on his head, sitting amidst the rows at the Thompson-Finch Farm in Ancram, NY, smiling broadly as he picked berry after berry, filling the cardboard tray to overflowing. My husband, Bill, moving randomly from row to row, searching for the smallest of the berries, also the sweetest.

Abundance. Three 11 x 17" cardboard trays filled with berries. The crazed search for recipes. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry rubarb pie. Strawberry smoothies. Cut up on cereal or vanilla ice cream. Freezing berries on cookie sheets, then storing in bags for later in the season. And, calling my sister Ellen for her spinach strawberry salad recipe. Easy to make. Delicious to eat.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Ingredients
2 bunches spinach
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions
Rinse spinach and tear into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries. In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds for dressing. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, just before serving.

1 comment:

  1. Easy substitutions include lettuce for spinach (add your favorites) and using Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing instead of making your own. You can also add in some red onion, almonds, and/or grilled chicken for a heartier salad. Thanks Jackie for the suggestions!

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