Taking Advantage of the Peak Season

Thanks to the advanced ways of farming, modern storage methods and exporting, nowadays we can enjoy almost all year round produce that used to be seasonal for us. Let's look at strawberries: we can buy them even in winter, and they look beautiful and tempting. However, very often, they are very disappointing because, behind these beautiful big, red, firm berries, there is no taste at all. You bite into them and quickly realize that "red" is only on the outside and "firm" means hard as wood… That's why you preferably enjoy them when they are in season in your area and taste divine.

There is a slightly different story with another seasonal ingredient – asparagus. Its taste will not depend highly on the season, but the price certainly will. So, the best idea is to enjoy them when they are widely available.

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Asparagus

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Asparagus is an excellent example of a dish that takes advantage of the seasonal produce. Simply, both strawberries and asparagus have their peak season around the same time. Just add some fresh baby spinach, preferably organic spinach, to maximize health benefits, and you have the basis for a great summer salad.

But there is no scrumptious salad without a great dressing! And the best dressing for Strawberry Spinach Salad is a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You can easily make it by mixing virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. These ingredients ensure a perfect blend of flavors: slightly acidic with a bit of sweetness. If you are on a strictly plant-based diet, you can replace the honey with maple syrup. 

In this form, it is a perfect dinner side salad. However, if you are not vegan and you prefer to serve it for a light summer lunch, you could add some crumbled feta, goat cheese or blue cheese for some extra proteins. Whichever way you prefer, you will surely enjoy this colorful salad.

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Salad ingredients:

• 500 g white or green asparagus
• 80 g fresh spinach {preferably fresh baby spinach}
• 200 g fresh strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces or sliced

Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing:

• 3 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Boil a pan of salted water.
2. Remove woody ends from the asparagus, peel, if you are using the white asparagus, and cut the stalks into 3-4 pieces.
3. Put the asparagus pieces in the boiling salted water and cook for 3 min. Immediately transfer to a bowl with ice-cold water, keep there for 2-3 minutes, drain well.
4. Arrange the spinach, strawberry slices and asparagus on a serving plate or a shallow salad bowl.
5. Make the vinaigrette: mix the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and the teaspoon of honey, season and pour the balsamic dressing over salad.