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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Red Leaf Lettuce + Strawberries in Strawberry Vinaigrette {#TheSaladBar}

Happy Saturday, friends! Yay it is the first day of the weekend and summer vacation is almost here.  It is so close that I can almost taste it - yes, literally as we usually go strawberry picking on the very first day of summer break!  Well, this year is a little different as we have already gone strawberry picking.  Okay, yes we can most certainly pick strawberries again...

Today is the first event of The Salad Bar a monthly blogging group started by Wendy of The Weekend Gourmet. Once a month you will be posting our favorite salad recipes and yes, there will always be a different them.  Do you love salad as much as I do?

The inaugural theme is berries; to me I have generally only used fresh berries in sweet treats and have just started to venture out into adding them into savory salads.  Early June is strawberry time in Oregon - the most delicious strawberries ever.  Really, I am not kidding and as I already told you above we have already gone strawberry picking.  We picked delicious, sweet, amazing Hood Strawberries.  That is the sweetest of them all...just amazing.  So I could not resist to experiment with these beauties and the result?  Red Leaf Lettuce mixed with Hood Strawberries in Strawberry Vinaigrette.


Red Leaf Lettuce + Strawberries in Strawberry Vinaigrette
Dressing
  • 1 head red leaf or green leaf lettuce washed and cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/4 C fresh strawberries cut into quarters
  1. Make the dressing first - in the first step mash up your strawberries in the salad bowl {I always make my dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl, but you can of course also make it in a separate bowl}
  2. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamico.  Whisk carefully after you add each ingredient.  The dressing will emulsify - adjust salt, and pepper to taste.
  3. Add - if using - garlic shoots and whisk carefully
  4. Add red leaf lettuce, and strawberries to the salad bowl. Carefully mix it all up {I use my hands} - In the alternate, you can place the salad in the bowl and pour the dressing over the salad