Strawberry Fields Salad

There is nothing prettier than an edible flower salad. It’s easy to make and looks great on the table, especially if you’re entertaining. This is a particularly delicate salad mix, so drizzle your dressing rather than tossing the greens. That way, your salad won’t look soggy, and people can appreciate the vividness of the flowers. 

One of my favorite accompaniments to a flower salad is a bright-red strawberry dressing made with low-acidic, super-sweet Gaviota strawberries. Lucky for Montecito, both Gaviota strawberries and an edible flower mix are available at the popular Harry’s Berries stand at Friday Farmers Market. Harry’s Berries is a well-known local three-generation farming family founded in 1967. The family takes enormous pride in its quality organic produce. 

These are the most delicious strawberries I’ve ever tasted, so I use them in a lot of my recipes. They are so naturally sweet that I use only a teaspoon of raw unfiltered honey in this dressing.

(Prep time, 15 minutes)

1 pint Gaviota strawberries, hulled
1 tbl white balsamic vinegar
1 tbl rosemary oil
1 tsp raw unfiltered honey, Orange Blossom
1/4 tsp Viva Oliva Salt Mix
hydroponic lettuce
baby greens and edible flowers
roasted almonds
chevre

Dressing:

Blend berries, vinegar, oil, honey, and salt mix; use a Vitamix blending cup or similar blender

Salad:

1. layer hydroponic lettuce on plates

2. top with baby greens flower mix

3. add slices of quality chevre 

4. drizzle with the strawberry dressing

5. sprinkle with grated almonds 

6. finish with some Maldon salt flakes

Easy shop, easy cook. Ingredients are locally sourced from Montecito merchants and Friday Farmers Market. This week’s vendors are: Friday Farmers Market (salad greens, berries, honey); Viva Oliva (rosemary oil, Salt Mix, vinegar); Montecito Village Market (Maldon salt, chevre); and Pierre Lafond (Fat Uncle Farms CA almonds).

If you have something you’d like me to try, please send an email to: janewalkerwood@gmail.com.