Lettuce lovers, this is your week.
Lettuces of all varieties are coming into season now and you’ll find a wide assortment of salad greens at local farmers markets.
Last week’s strawberry crop is even bigger now, so combine the two into one recipe for a strawberry salad with a sweet, homemade orange dressing.
Every bite is a taste of summer.
— Lisa Abraham
MIXED GREENS AND
STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH
ALMONDS AND CREAMY
ORANGE DRESSING
For the dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tbsp. orange marmalade
For the salad:
1 small head butter lettuce, leaves separated and washed, dried and chilled
3 to 4 oz. mixed baby lettuces, washed, dried and chilled
2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and orange juice concentrate until combined. Add the marmalade and whisk again until well blended. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Reserve 4 large whole leaves of butter lettuce for plating. Carefully tear the remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces.
To assemble the salads, spoon 1 tablespoon of dressing in the center of each of 4 serving plates (This enables the salad to have enough dressing, while keeping it fresh looking right up until serving). Place a whole, large leaf of butter lettuce off-center on the plate. Scatter a handful of torn butter lettuce and a handful of mixed baby greens over the entire plate. Scatter ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon of sliced almonds over the greens. Drizzle each salad with an additional tablespoon of dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, with remaining dressing in a bowl or small pitcher on the table to add if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
— The Artist, the Cook and the Gardener, Maryjo Koch ($26.99, hardcover, Andrews McMeel)
Find previous installments of This Week’s Harvest and a list of local farmers markets at http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/food. Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.
