Summer Salads

Everyone should have at least one salad everyday whether it be veggie or fruit.  For me the best salads come from garden fresh veggies and freshly made salad dressing.  If your garden is like mine the fresh veggies are still growing , I can’t wait to get that first garden tomato.  Last night we had the first corn of the year from the Kallstoms in Quincy, which they grew under plastic this year, so we could have corn at the 4th of July.  The remaining corn fields are open  and hopefully we will have a continuous supply of corn all summer and into the early fall.  My garden peppers are coming along nicely especially my Italian roasting peppers.  Herbs in my garden are doing  extremely well but I want tomatoes and I want them now.  As far as fruit we have lots of cherries and sweet juicy apricots.  If you like apricots stop by our fruit stand as we have tree ripened apricots that you will love.  We also have fresh eggs that you can cook and  add to all sorts of salads. Take advantage of all the bounty that we grow here in the valley and support your local farmers.  Enjoy!

SPINACH SALAD

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

10 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 13 cups)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

5 hard-boiled large eggs, sliced

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

1. Whisk first four ingredients until sugar is dissolved.

2. In a 13x9-in. dish, layer half of each of the following: spinach, onion, mushrooms and eggs. Repeat layers. Drizzle with dressing; top with bacon.