5.23.2011

Strawberry Salad and a Fantastic Cookbook Giveaway!

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One thing I love most about strawberries, besides their sweet, juicy deliciousness, is their versatility. I love the fact that they can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. This strawberry salad is fantastic! I am all over the balsamic dijon dressing, the goat cheese, the pine nuts, the greens...and of course, the luscious strawberries.

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I found this recipe in a terrific new cookbook titled, Strawberry Recipes for Everyday. It features California Strawberries. Don't get me wrong...I'm all over my local Oregon strawberries but... California, with all of it's beautiful sunny days, pumps out some mighty yummy berries as well.

I received two of these lovely cookbooks in my mailbox...One for review and one to share with one of you! Isn't that fun?!! You will love this cookbook. It's full of gorgeous photos and yummy strawberry recipes. There are breakfast recipes, appetizers and snacks, sweets, main courses, salads and beverages.

This cookbook is available in both print and E-book formats.

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Chinois Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad
slightly adapted from Strawberry Recipes for Everyday

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbs. garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup soybean oil
salt and pepper as needed

Fried Wonton Strips:
3 oz wonton skins
vegetable oil as needed
salt as needed

3 pounds spring mix or mesclun salad (I subbed baby arugula and baby spinach)
1 1/2 quarts fresh California strawberries, stemmed and sliced
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
4.5 lbs fresh goat cheese, crumbled

To make Balsamic Vinaigrette:
In blender jar, purée vinegar, mustard, garlic and sugar. With motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

To make Fried Wonton Skins:
Cut wonton skins into 1/4-inch strips. Deep-fry in 350°F oil until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle lightly with salt.

To assemble each salad:
Toss 4 cups spring mix, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon pine nuts and 3 ounces goat cheese with 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette. Mound on salad plate; top with 1/4 cup Fried Wonton Strips.

Yield: 24 servings
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To enter my giveaway:

Please visit the California Strawberries website. Come on back over here and let me know if anything caught your eye.

Like California Strawberries in FB.

Let me know you'd like to win.

Oh yes, please, please, please, leave me a way to reach you if you should win. :)

Giveaway open to everyone far and wide until Saturday night at midnight PST.

Hugs to you all and have a super week!





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33 comments:

Maris(In Good Taste) said...

Easy! Strawberry nutella pannino! I would love to win a cookbook!

Kim said...

This salad looks heavenly with tons of flavor and texture, not to mention what a beauty it is!

Nisrine said...

I like the new look of your blog and the strawberry salad looks fresh and fantastic.

Hannah said...

This salad looks fantastic! I would love to win the cookbook. Since it is breakfast time here I am really drooling over the Strawberry Nutella Panino.

Meister @ The Nervous Cook said...

Strawberries in a salad is one of my favorite sprintime dinner treats. I love pairing strawberries, arugula, mango, celery and seared scallops, with a little bit of lemon juice. Yum.

Cathy said...

What a fantastic salad! Balsamic dressing and toasted pinenuts are perfect with strawberries. Looks delish, Kim. I miss you at the market. Hope you can come by some Saturday.

Jennifer B said...

Um, how about everything caught my eye?? :)

That strawberry salsa on the main page is pretty interesting!

jlobugblog@yahoo.com

Jennifer B said...

I'd like to win. Period. My kitchen has more cookbooks than utensils so I'll definitely use this one!

jlobugblog@yahoo.com

ter@waaoms said...

The salad looks great, I'm bookmarking the recipe. And on the California Strawberry site, everything looked great but the Strawberry Salsa and the Strawberry Ravioli both caught my eye right away. I'll be bookmarking that site too! I'd love to win this book, and my contact info is under my photo. Thanks! :)

Joanne said...

I made a strawberry salad too recently and now I can't get enough of them! This looks delicious!

Kathy Walker said...

Strawberries are wonderful in salads! I have never met one that I didn't like..strawberry salad, that is!

The Blonde Duck said...

This looks delicous!

Mimi said...

Great looking salad. Strawberry Salsa sounds pretty tasty.
Mimi

Topher said...

I'd love to win it. Thanks.

Chris M.

zekks at yahoo dot com

Topher said...

The recipe of the week on the California strawberry site caught my eye. I'd love to try it. Thanks.


Chris M.

Faith said...

This is such a beautiful strawberry salad, Kim! That dressing sounds incredible!

theUngourmet said...

Meister- I love the sound of you salad with the seared scallops. Yummy!

Vittle me this... said...

That looks so refreshing and summery!

Molly Anne said...

I don't think I've ever had strawberries in a salad. Mandarin oranges, yes.
I am growing some new strawberry plants this year so I'd be interested in knowing how to use them for more than just stuffing them in my face. ;)

Molly Anne said...

Got a little happy and clicked the buttons before I was done with my comment!

I love that link "surprising ways to use strawberries" I'm so bookmarking their site.
ROASTED strawberries? Where has that idea been all my life?!

Betty @ scrambled henfruit said...

I love strawberries, and I'd love to win this cookbook! Your salad looks delicious- beautiful photo! :)

Krista said...

Count me in!

My kiddos would adore that Strawberry Nutella Panino on the California Strawberry site. Wow!

This salad looks incredible. The viniagerette sounds wonderful and I love the use of fried wontons and pine nuts! Of course I'd have to sub feta for goat cheese (you may have read about my aversion to goat cheese while "stalking" my blog. : ) lol.

scrappysue said...

Oh I wish it was strawberry season, but the book will keep should I win!!!

Natalie said...

that strawberry salad looks similar to one of my favorites!

I love the idea of a strawberry mint mojito that I saw on the site!

Pam said...

The salad looks wonderful... I love the added fried wonton strips on top.

Magic of Spice said...

Oh dear...I am deathly allergic to strawberries, but I can see these with other berries :)
Lovely giveaway :)

Reeni said...

I love all the competing flavors in this beautiful salad Kim! Strawberries are just beginning to show up in my neck of the woods - a good thing after seeing this!

Unknown said...

one of my absolute favourite salads would have it more often if strawberries weren't so darn expensive

Christina Kim said...

Oooohhh, I should have found your blog earlier because I can see that you're like me; you're crazy over berries too...LOL!:)
Lovely lovely....I love strawberries with anything, but I still love them raw too:D

Christina Kim said...

Okay, I'm back coz I've been to the California Strawberries website (which, I need to thank you for, because I have always been a big big fan of strawberries from California and they just seem to cost so much when they arrive in my country!) I would so love to get them fresh...and I know I am going to get my hands on 'em strawberries when I go to California someday!:D
Okay..for the contest, I'm no cook really, and cookbook would definitely be good for me so that I'd not burn down the kitchen someday! What's the best way to start cooking, if not with my favorite food/fruit and in a unique way such as Cod fish with strawberry salsa?? (Love fish, and top them with strawberries sound like a heavenly delight:)
I rarely see anyone use strawberries out of salads, or fruit juices...and this really got my attention!:)
I would absolutely, definitely love to win the cookbook too...and did I mention that I love strawberries? :)

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College said...

Wow...strawberries, pine nuts, and goat cheese!!! This looks amazing. The strawberry salsa looks incredibly intriguing.

sheila @ Elements said...

That salad looks fantastic!!! I would love to have this for lunch, but sadly, I just made a dessert with my strawberries. :( Have a nice weekend, sheila

Kelly said...

The Strawberry Tostado looks scrumptious! The cheese, strawberry, and avocado combination includes many of my favorites... just never thought to put them together! :) Thanks for sharing the site.

kellysraj@yahoo.com

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