It is officially Farm Market Season!
Let’s look at what’s cooking in my kitchen this week…
At Monday’s Market I was able to bring home a beautiful basket of sweet, juicy strawberries and a head of brilliant green buttery lettuce. Taking some inspiration from Asian lettuce cups and salsas I have made in the past, my daughters and I assembled this sunshine strawberry salad, using the lettuce leaves as cups or going one step farther and wrapping the filling up like a burrito or spring roll. Here’s what we did…
The salad was a quick and simple side for our meal (we also seared some Ahi tuna) that took the three of us just minutes to assemble, taking an assist from some pre-made dressing and what was available in our pantry.
First step: For our salad we sliced up strawberries, peaches, red onion, and an avocado. Get creative with this and use whatever you have on hand that sounds good, like green onion, apple, watermelon, peppers, or even mandarin oranges (this salad could easily take a Southwest or Asian detour by choosing a few different ingredients).
Second step: Crisp and clean the lettuce leaves for use. I set my head of lettuce in a shallow bowl of cold water to help perk it back up, then removed and rinsed the leaves before running them through a salad spinner for service.
Third step: Dress the fruit and vegetable salad…this can either be with a store-bought dressing (I am currently in love with Briannas dressings and used the Real French Vinaigrette for this recipe) or dress simply with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I also sprinkled my favorite seed mix on top (GERBS Raw Super Five Seed Mix) for a little crunch and texture. Sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, or pepitas would be great too!
Fourth step: Spoon salad onto lettuce leaves and either fold up like a taco or roll like a burrito or spring roll…make eating a fun experience for everyone!
Make it a meal: It would be easy to create a light meal out of this salad by adding some crumbled feta, walnuts or almonds, or even chunks of cooked meat such as chicken or tuna. Think of the salad as a base and get creative with add-ins and toppings. The salad itself would also make a great topping for grilled meats.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you get out to enjoy what your local community has to offer! Enjoy!
Cold Creek Farm 