Saturday, July 10, 2010

Blueberry Almond Salad






Sometimes simple is best...which was the case tonight when I decided to make a salad.  I was starving, and not feeling like making something that took too much time, and I decided to raid the fridge to find the ingredients for a refreshing salad.  What I ended up chosing as my main ingredient was fresh organic blueberries...they were calling my name at the store, and I decided that including them in a salad would be putting them to good use.  This salad would be blueberry through and through...included in the dressing as well as tossed into the greens.  So, for the dressing, I combined them with some reisling vinegar, and some almond oil...since I was including toasted almonds in the salad as well, and I wanted to echo the almond flavor in the dressing.  The salad was really quite simple, a blueberry vinaigrette, toasted almonds, and romaine, but it was wonderful!  Summer produce at it's best!  The sweetness of the berries, tartness of the vinegar and the toasty almonds were a satisfying combination...definately not bad for a last minute throw together!  Although the salad was simple, it was also elegant and could be served as a first course.  If you happen to have some blueberries try it out...it is super quick to prepare!



Blueberry Almond Salad
Serves 2

dressing:
1 Tbsp almond oil
2 Tbsp reisling vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup fresh organic blueberries
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried well, torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup fresh organic blueberries
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
6 large leaves fresh basil, cut chiffonade

In a food processor, combine dressing ingredients, puree until smooth and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the lettuce, berries, almonds and basil, and toss with the dressing to coat. Divide the salad between three plates and serve!

3 comments:

Chef Dennis Littley said...

hi Amy

I have really been getting excited about fruit in salads lately....nuts are the perfect compliment!
Its nice to have something so fresh and healthy!

Cristina said...

Great ingredients in this dressing. The combination of the honey, vinegar and almond oil must be wonderful. Gorgeous salad, perfect for the summer season!

Brian Samuels Photography said...

What a fantastic salad! Simple ingredients that have such lovely, refreshing flavors.