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Cook the Book: Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Nectarines

Posted by Caroline Russock, August 7, 2009 at 1:45 PM

Photograph from J. McPherson on Flickr

I go out to eat a lot and one of my favorite things to do in a fancy restaurant is to order the mixed greens salad. It might sound boring but I think how a kitchen chooses to make a simple salad is the best judge of the restaurant as a whole. This past week I passed up a torchon of foie gras for a green salad and I didn't regret it for a second. My field greens were dressed with a gooseberry vinaigrette, interspersed with heirloom squash, peas, favas, and wax beans.

A good salad is a force to be reckoned with, and this recipe for Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Nectarines from Carol Gelles' 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes is a perfect example. While this salad is entirely meat-free it doesn't scream vegetarian recipe. It's an incidentally vegetarian, more of a summer or salad recipe than an exclusively meat-free dish.

This is a salad that you should make now or at least in the next few weeks. Strawberries and nectarines aren't going to taste any better than they do in late summer.

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Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Nectarines

- serves 4 to 6 -

Adapted from 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles.

Ingredients

6 cups lightly packed, bite-size pieces fresh spinach
1 cup pitted and sliced nectarines
1 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (optional)

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, nectarines, and strawberries.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and dry mustard. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

Variation: Substitute peaches for the nectarines and raspberries for the strawberries.

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Tags: 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes, Carol Gelles, Cook the Book, fall recipes, nectarines, salads, spinach, strawberries, summer, vegetarian