What can I say, I looooove salads this time of year. I don’t know about you, though, but I get awfully bored with the same old iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrots and tomatoes. Bleck, who wants to eat that??
Coincidentally, in the summer, I always have huge containers of fresh berries in my fridge. And while I do my best to eat as much fruit as I can during the week, I’m always looking for various ways to use up my berries by the end of the week. This has become my new, favorite, summer salad. It’s crisp and cool, and not your same old run-of-the-mill mixed salad. Add some grilled chicken to this, and you’ve got a meal.
Start by toasting some pecans on the stove top. Almonds would also be yummy! Melt some butter over low heat and add your chopped nuts. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and cook until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to cool.
Meanwhile, thinly slice your cucumber and strawberries. Mix with fresh spinach leaves, and toss with blueberries and freshly sliced parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a berry viniagrette dressing.
In your blender, mix together:
- 1/4 cup fresh fruit spread (I used blackberry, since that’s what I had on-hand, but blueberry or strawberry would work great, also);
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Process until smooth. With blender running, slowly add in 2/3 cup of vegetable oil. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.