Simply Salads: Baby Greens with Strawberry Dressing & Nora Ephron

A refreshing way to use those fresh summer berries and incorporating their sweetness into a salad dressing mixed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I was saddened to hear that Nora Ephron, director, producer, screenwriter, journalist and author – passed away yesterday. Admittedly, I have yet to read her published works, but I’m no stranger to her movie greats and how she lovingly weaved food references into some of my most favorite movies. A couple of years ago on Teenie Cakes, I made some delectable individual sized Homemade Tiramisu and couldn’t resist quoting a scene from Sleepless In Seattle when Rob Reiner drops the word Tiramisu on Tom Hanks. Some Nora Ephron cinema greats that are on my all-time favorite lists:

• When Harry Met Sally
• Sleepless in Seattle
• Michael
• You’ve Got Mail
• Julie & Julia

When flipping through the myriad of useless cable channels in search of something to watch, who can resist stopping in the middle of these movies to finish watching them through? All those favorite screen moments and maybe having memorized one too many scenes by heart.

Nora Ephron, the loss of a great woman and movie icon.

This is what summer salads are about. Fresh, sweet strawberries adorning a bed of tasty mixed baby greens. Tossed into the salad are walnuts and bits of pungent crumbled feta. The best part is the strawberry dressing you’ve just whipped up. Sprinkle some fresh summer blueberries in this salad to go with those plump, red strawberries. Now, not only are you set with healthful antioxidants – you’ve got a RED, WHITE & BLUE salad!

While I adore feta, I’ve nearly cut the amount of feta used in half from the original recipe. Too much feta overpowers the true stars of the show – which in this case are the strawberries. Go raw! No need to toast the walnuts. I’ve added blueberries as a garnish and later thought it would also be a good addition to toss some into the dressing.

Serve this lively summer fare with a crisp white, like a Pinot Grigio. A good Moscato would be lovely too!

• Decreased the olive oil from 1/2 cup to 6 tablespoons (that’s just slightly more than 1/3 cup). Used extra-virgin olive oil.
• Decreased the amount of feta from 1 1/3 cups to 3/4 cup.
• Addition of fresh blueberries to further liven up the salad are added as garnish. Unless you want a blue salad, don’t mix it in with the salad dressing.
• Adding some smashed blueberries to the salad dressing would be a nice addition too!
• Have leftover roasted chicken or steak? Cut into cubes and top on salad.
• Used raw walnuts.

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Baby Greens with Strawberry Dressing

source adapted and modified from Bon Appétit, July 2002

Serves 2-6

Ingredients

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

5-ounces mixed baby greens
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup walnuts (toasting is optional)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Mash enough strawberries to measure 1/3 cup. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the mashed strawberries to complete dressing.

Place remaining strawberries in large bowl. Add the baby greens, feta, and walnuts to the strawberries and gently distribute the ingredients. Add the strawberry dressing to the salad and toss to coat.

Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Can be served as a side salad or main dish.

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