Garden Berry salad with a healthy tangy balsamic dressing makes a lovely presentation at table. This beautiful salad is versatile; welcoming your creative additions of various spring greens, nuts and cheeses. Add your favorite lush in season berries to really wake up the flavors!

Dave and I LOVE spring. After  a dose of house bound winter blahs we enjoy getting out in the garden and greenhouse. Spring is the time to get busy, And busy we are! Especially Dave. He runs a full time Drywall operation. That is hard work.  And then he comes home to seven wild acres, a large garden and greenhouse, chickens and many many other things he needs to tend to around here. It Keeps him fit:)

I help as I can, but I have my own circus full of monkeys to contain. Between us, we manage to prioritize and get along, but not everything will get done. We know that going into spring. But we dream…. In early spring we get the chores done and the garden and property look great (if a bit bare) and we hope to keep ahead of it.

Then the weeds start erupting out of the ground. The Nettle bushes, buttercups, field grasses and dandelions shoot up and the wild blackberries come out of nowhere. The project list gets way over the top busy….yeah. Acceptance is a big part of living here. We never get it all done.

After awhile the greenhouse and garden start to show promise. The early spring greens and wintered over crops give us salad that is fresh and lively.   Harvesting fresh berries and cucumbers give us even more flavor and pop. After months of waiting we are eating fresh organic produce. Yum!

Dave built a HUGE raised be for a couple of rows of raspberries last year. He started the canes from our daughters canes. After a whole year of waiting the raspberry patch is producing ripe berries. They make a perfect topping for this salad.

Salad and juice making from our garden greens is a HUGELY satisfying way to celebrate our early produce. We start to feel it’s all worth the effort. Call us crazy. This is an expensive, exhausting hobby farm…we adore this place!

 

Garden Berry salad is great with your own fresh organic garden produce or go to your local CSA or Farmers Market.

Today’s salad is made with produce from both our garden and the grocery store. Our tomatoes and peppers are still babies so I purchased the ones you see today. I did get to use our long english (Tasty Jade variety) cucumbers in this salad. Dave grew them in the greenhouse. Great flavor!

Nothing beats growing your own organic produce. It’s a fun hobby and your diet will improve immensely. If you’re just not feeling the garden vibe or have no area for growing your own produce…find a good farmers market, veggie stand or a farm that will send you organic food. It’s so worth it!

On the subject of purchased organics in stores:

I just read this interesting article by Rodale Press and thought to pass it along. It’s important to keep up with the types of food labeling. The rules they follow, enforcement practices and what it means for us as consumers as we pay a premium for organics.

Garden Berry Salad Recipe Notes:

TIP: I used a fork to run down the sides of the cucumber to make the fluted edge look on the cucumber skin. That gives a pretty look to the salad. (An old trick I learned from my mama.)

The salad dressing is SO good. make it ahead to let the flavors meld a bit. Promise, your family will love this.

Instructions:

• Chop or tear all greens and place in a large salad bowl.
• Add the cheese, nuts and an other accoutrements you love in a salad now along with the strawberries.
• Toss gently and top with the raspberries as desired.
• Dress salad with one recipe Homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing (best to make ahead and store in fridge). I added this recipe into the printable recipe card for your convenience.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

 

Your Printable Recipe Card:

This recipe was originally posted May 25, 2015

More salads you may enjoy:

Mediterranean Macaroni Salad 

This is a great choice for outdoor venues. No eggs or mayo used.

Smoky Potato Salad

An old family favorite. This one’s a keeper!

Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dressing

The most pinned salad on our blog. Excellent green salad!

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