Our Favorite Salad Right Now

A delicious seasonal salad recipe with strawberries

Featured item: MAY 12, 2008

A healthful salad made with just-picked greens and berries is the tastiest reason to eat in season.

Local spring lettuces and strawberries have more vitamins and phytonutrients as they haven't spent weeks traveling miles to your supermarket. Buying local produce lessons the carbon imprint of your food dollar too!

Right now, the salad greens in my garden are babies. But I can't wait any longer so I plan on giving them a haircut soon. Fortunately, they will grow back quickly, in time for another indulgence of the first spring vegetables.

The timing is perfect as my second favorite spring treat—strawberries!—has just appeared on the market. My friend Ivan, an Amish farmer, has his under a covered tunnel, which speeds up the plants by several weeks ahead of the outdoor farmers. Small, pungent, red the whole way through, these sweet berries are what dreams are made of. Once I've gobbled up an entire quart, only then am I ready to make my special salad of berries, greens and feta.

Use a mixture of spring lettuces for your salads to add a variety of color and textures. Or, go with a simple crisp head of bibb (which make those gorgeous berries stand out). Choose smaller berries from the farmers' market, which have a stronger perfume and flavor.—Susie Quick

Spring Lettuces with Strawberries and Feta

Serves 6 to 8

12 cups assorted lettuce greens, rinsed and dried well in a salad spinner
Sherry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 cup herb sprigs such as chives, chervil, and mint
1/2 cup sliced organic strawberries
1 cup crumbled prganic goat feta (or sheep's milk feta)

Place the greens and herbs in a large bowl. Add about 1 tablespoon of vinaigrette and gently toss to just coat the greens. Top with berries and feta and serve.

Sherry Vinaigrette

This is a good, light-tasting vinaigrette that is nice to make up and keep on hand in the fridge.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 clove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
3/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup canola oil

Place all the ingredients but the oils in a blender and pulse until emulsified. With blender on lowest speed, slowly pour in the oils and blend until emulsified.