
Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries! Come get your strawberries! I'm surprised the first strawberries of the season are sweet. I stopped by Quaker Valley Orchards at the Dupont Circle Fresh Farm Market on Sunday (as I always do), tasted one, and the sweet juice ran down my arm - a good sign. Usually the season's first strawberries aren't sweet, but these are - and I recommend them - in case you haven't guessed already. And lucky for us, Quaker Valley also sells their exceptional produce at the Rose Park Farmer's Market on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 7:00 pm.
Of course, most of the strawberries I bought - 8 pints - will be popped into my mouth as is. But, this salad is also a great way to celebrate strawberries.
Mike Gardner's Springtime Strawberry, Goat Cheese and Roasted Almond Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette
This is a great salad for a hot day. Let the strawberries sit long enough to absorb the balsamic vinegar flavor while you take time to catch up with friends and enjoy the summer day. Balsamic vinegar is a perfect accompaniment to strawberries (try them on vanilla frozen yogurt). Add the spinach and you have a “salad” you will LOVE (and will love you back with health benefits)!

Prepare the strawberries by placing them into a bowl and add the vinegar. Let them sit for a while to absorb the flavor of the vinegar- an hour or better. This can be done at room temperature
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