Summer Block Party

This weekend we are kicking off summer at a block party hosted by our neighbors.  They have graciously offered to supply the main course but left it up to the rest of the neighborhood to bring something "unique" and creative as sides.  Since our street is full of young kids, we decided we better bring something fresh and healthy to go with all the great grilled meat.  I decided to make use of all the young leaf lettuce growing in our garden and put together a summertime strawberry salad. Its great to have a nice garden but I think I might have overdone it when planting the lettuce with our boys, as we have a HUGE patch of lettuce that I don't want to go to waste.

Summertime Strawberry Salad

1 lb strawberries cut into a small dice
4 oz of candied pecan pieces
1 large bowl of leaf lettuce
2 oz of freshly shredded parmigiana cheese

Dressing:
1 1/2 oz White Balsamic Vinegar
1 oz Honey
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 oz olive oil
pinch of salt

When you whisk the salad dressing together start with the first three ingredients and slowly pour in the olive oil.  The mustard will help it emulsify and shouldn't separate on you. Trust me its not enough to make it taste like mustard just enough to help the dressing hold together. This salad is especially good for summertime, since it doesn't include any milk or egg products it holds up to the warmer temperatures really well.   (special trick:  if it does separate on you whip out that blender you have and try mixing it in there.  That should do the trick.)  Dress the lettuce with the dressing and add the pecans and strawberries right before you eat.

Carrie is also working on a cake that I smell upstairs that she probably wants to share...  but I'll let her do that herself in her own post.  (and from the smell of things it deserves its own post.)

This weekend we are kicking off summer at a block party hosted by our neighbors.  They have graciously offered to supply the main course but left it up to the rest of the neighborhood to bring something "unique" and creative as sides.  Since our street is full of young kids, we decided we better bring something fresh and healthy to go with all the great grilled meat.  I decided to make use of all the young leaf lettuce growing in our garden and put together a summertime strawberry salad. Its great to have a nice garden but I think I might have overdone it when planting the lettuce with our boys, as we have a HUGE patch of lettuce that I don't want to go to waste.

Summertime Strawberry Salad

1 lb strawberries cut into a small dice
4 oz of candied pecan pieces
1 large bowl of leaf lettuce
2 oz of freshly shredded parmigiana cheese

Dressing:
1 1/2 oz White Balsamic Vinegar
1 oz Honey
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 oz olive oil
pinch of salt

When you whisk the salad dressing together start with the first three ingredients and slowly pour in the olive oil.  The mustard will help it emulsify and shouldn't separate on you. Trust me its not enough to make it taste like mustard just enough to help the dressing hold together. This salad is especially good for summertime, since it doesn't include any milk or egg products it holds up to the warmer temperatures really well.   (special trick:  if it does separate on you whip out that blender you have and try mixing it in there.  That should do the trick.)  Dress the lettuce with the dressing and add the pecans and strawberries right before you eat.

Carrie is also working on a cake that I smell upstairs that she probably wants to share...  but I'll let her do that herself in her own post.  (and from the smell of things it deserves its own post.)