GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — With the arrival of warm weather we’re craving fresh flavors from the garden. So why smother your fresh salads with bottled dressings filled with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients?
Terri Chaffer of Love That Olive in Maple Grove joined us to share several easy and inspired ideas for summer salads and equally fresh salad dressings.
You can find more fun summer salad ideas at Love That Olive or visit Terri at her shop in Maple Grove. She loves to answer questions and share tips and ideas with visitors.
Recipes:
BLT Pasta Salad
1 lb. bow tie pasta
1/3 C. *Peppered Bacon EVOO
1/3 C. *Bourbon Balsamic vinegar
1 lb. thick cut bacon, fried until crispy then cut into small pieces
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
10 leaves of crispy romaine lettuce, washed, dried and chopped into bite size pieces
½ C. red onion, diced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes
- Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool
- While water is coming to a boil, heat a skillet over medium heat; add bacon and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain
- Cut cooked bacon into pieces when cooled
- Place cooled pasta in a serving bowl; add bacon, tomato, onion and lettuce; combine
- Add salt and pepper.
- Drizzle EVOO and Balsamic vinegar into the pasta mixture and toss
- Serve immediately or chill until needed
Note: Feel free to add more Peppered Bacon EVOO and Bourbon Balsamic to taste, if desired
*Available at Love that Olive, Maple Grove
Rainbow Vegetable Salad
½ C. Spinach
½ C. Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
¼ C. Carrots, matchstick cut
1 Slice Bacon, cooked & crumbled
¼ C. Purple Cabbage, thinly sliced
Cucumber, sliced
Grape tomatoes, left whole
1 Hard Boiled Egg, sliced
¼ C. Oyster Crackers 2 tsp.
*Roasted Onion EVOO, for crackers
*Black Garlic Sea Salt
Dressing:
2 Tbsp. *Roasted Onion EVOO
2 Tbsp. *Aged White Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
• Heat 2 tsp. Roasted Onion EVOO in a small skillet. When warm, add oyster crackers and sauté for about 3 minutes. Season crackers with Black Garlic Sea Salt
Salad:
• In a bowl, place spinach in the bottom, then a layer of romaine
• Add the vegetables in pie shape wedges over the top
• Drizzle with Roasted Onion EVOO then follow with a drizzle of the Aged White Balsamic vinegar
• Add a pinch of the Black Garlic Sea Salt to finish
*Available at Love that Olive, Maple Grove
Rainbow Fruit Salad
½ C. Blueberries
½ C. Strawberries, sliced
½ C. Raspberries
½ C. Pineapple, cubed
½ C. Mandarin oranges
½ C. Kiwi, sliced & quartered
½ C. Grapes, green or red, sliced in half
Dressing:
¼ C. *Key Lime Tart Filling
3 Tbsp. *Lime EVOO
3 Tbsp. *Toasted Coconut White Balsamic vinegar
• Whisk together
Directions:
• In a round dish (like a pie dish) arrange the fruit in wedges so it looks like slices of pie
• Just before serving whisk the dressing and pour over the fruit • Serve and enjoy
*Available at Love that Olive, Maple Grove