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!