Spring Green Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Spring Green Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
I’m so excited! Spring has finally arrived in Southern Oregon! According to the calendar, “technically” it’s still winter. According to what is happening in my backyard, the calendar is way wrong :)…
A crocus blossom… One of the first flowers to make an appearance in our backyard early in the season. I love the bright orange stamens and the purple and white streaked petals. I have them planted in many places in our yard. Some reside in pots, some are tucked under bushes and trees. Crocuses grow only a few inches tall and come back every year during the month of March.
This is a shot of some pansies that I have planted in a hanging pot on my back patio. Pansies are a regular staple to our yard in the spring and fall. Every time I look at them they make me smile. I enjoy the bright and cheerful colors outside my kitchen window.
A close-up shot of a pansy blossom. I was thrilled to capture this image with my camera. Through the lens of my camera, I was able to see this amazing amount of detail on the flower. I can’t see this level of detail even with my reading glasses on.
A tulip poking its way through the soil. I look forward to a big vase full of bright red blossoms on our dining room table in a short couple of weeks.
Even the koi fish in our pond are starting to surface for the first handfuls of feed of the year. This is Pumpkin… He’s one of the original fish to live in our pond. He’s almost 2 feet long and about 10 years old. I remember the day when Bruce and I purchased him. He was about 4 inches in length and shared a plastic bag with four other fish on the trip home. Several years later, we now have a total of 8 koi fish happily living in our pond.
Whenever I think of spring, one of the first things that come to mind is fresh picked strawberries. I purchased a couple of pints of strawberries the other day and one of the things that I wanted to do with them was to make a spring like strawberry vinaigrette. My Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette is a wonderfully pink colored salad dressing made with fresh strawberries, red wine vinegar, local honey, Dijon Mustard, canola oil and poppy seeds. It’s a delicious vinaigrette to serve drizzled over a plate of fresh picked greens and sliced strawberries. Enjoy! Tessa
Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 pound strawberries (cleaned and hulled)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs honey or to taste
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds or to taste
Add strawberries, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and canola oil to a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Splash more vinegar into the dressing if you want… Mix in the poppy seeds. Makes 1 cup or 16 – 1 Tablespoon servings. Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
Green Salad (per serving)
- 2 cups fresh lettuce
- 1 thinly sliced radish
- 2 strawberries (hulled and quartered)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced radicchio
- 1 Tbs Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette (or to taste)
Assemble by placing salad greens on a plate. Arrange radishes, strawberries and radicchio on top of the greens. Drizzle greens with the Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. Makes one serving.
