Recipe: Fresh Summer Salad with Pitted Fruits and Cherry Balsamic Dressing

This is hands down my husband's favorite salad. It combines lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds with a tangy, slightly sweet smokey dressing for a healthy summery dish that can stand on its own as a meal or act as an amazing side for a Summer Barbecue. My husband lliterally will lick the bowl clean!! The salad dressing is also amazing as a sauce on Chicken or other meats as well as a great substitute for mayo on sandwiches.

Ingredients for Salad: (Feel free to use more or less of what you wish or add your own twist)

Lettuce (I like to use the Spring lettuce as I think it has the best flavor)- 1-2 small heads

Spinach- a few good handfuls

Red onion- 1-2 small onions julienned

Cherries- Pitted and halved approx 1/2-1 cup

Nectarines- Pitted and cut into bite sized bits approx 1/2-1 cup

Plums- Pitted and cut into bite sized bits approx 1/2-1 cup

Pears- 1-2 pears in bite sized bits approx 1/2-1 cup

Mandarin oranges- 1 small can, drained

Mango-1 whole Mango, NOT OVER RIPE (if it is to ripe it turns to mush, get one that is still firmish), cubed

Pine nuts- a good handful toasted

Cashews- a good handful chopped and toasted

Sunflower seeds- a good handful toasted

Pecans- a good handful chopped and toasted

Blue Cheese- approx 1/2-1 cup crumbled

Ingredients for Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Balsamic Vinegar- 1 Cup

Sugar- 1/2 cup

1-3 cloves garlic- finely chopped

Cherry preserves- 1 cup (Use the preserves with the fruit bits rather than jelly)

Red Wine Vinegar- 1/2 cup

Olive oil- 2 cups

Salt- to taste

Fresh ground Pepper- to taste

Also need:

1 medium Sauce Pan

1 small skillet

Spatula

Whisk or blender

1 large salad bowl

Salad tongs

To Prepare Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette:

First add the Balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic into the sauce pan. Simmer the ingredients together until the mixture has reduced by half. Add the cherry preserves and bring back to a simmer for around 1-2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool completely. When the mixture has cooled, quickly whisk in the Red Wine Vinegar first and then the Olive Oil until smooth. If you prefer a creamier dressing free of chunks, pour the cooled mixture into a blender and then add the Red Wine Vinegar. Blend for a few seconds and add the Olive oil, blending until smooth. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. This dressing lasts several weeks in the fridge and is great not only as a salad dressing but also a sandwich spread and a glaze for grilled meat. Keep cool or it will separate. Makes 4-5 cups dressing.

To Prepare Salad:

Start off by toasting the seeds and nuts that you have chosen to add to your salad. Feel free to use one or all of the suggested nuts. To toast them, put a teaspoon or so of olive oil in the skillet with a few shakes of salt and add the nuts and seeds. Toast over a medium flame stirring regularly until the nuts have a slight brownish color. Remove from heat and transfer onto a plate covered in paper towels to cool. The paper towel will soak up any excess oil left on the nuts.

Next wash and dry the lettuce and spinach that you plan to use. Arrange the greens together in the bottom of the salad bowl. On top of the lettuce, arrange the fruit that you have chosen to use. Sprinkle on the red onions, cooled nuts, and blue cheese. Add dressing right before serving. Gently toss salad to combine ingredients and enjoy!!! Makes 1 large salad that serves 3-6 people depending on whether it is served as a meal or a side and how much of each ingredient you choose to use.