Recipes - Sweet Summer Spinach & Strawberries

How about some spinach and strawberries to welcome in the summer season? In the Pacific Northwest, where I live, luscious Oregon strawberries make their appearance in the market about the same time that spinach shoots are poking their green heads above the soil.

Spinach goes a lot further in salad form than when it is cooked, and people who turn up their noses at the limp version may not even realize this crisp green is the same vegetable. Smoked salmon makes a nice substitute for the conventional bacon.

• 10-12 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and rinsed (you can often find this conveniently pre-washed and bagged)
• 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 red bell peppers, roasted and cut into strips (you can use the kind that come in a jar)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 6 rounds mild goat cheese, about 1 1/2 ounces each
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare salad: Put spinach, onion, peppers, salmon and 1/3 cup of the pine nuts in a large bowl and toss to mix.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop remainder of pine nuts and combine with basil. Brush each round of cheese with olive oil, then roll in the pine-nut-basil mixture until all sides are coated. Put the cheese rounds on a cookie sheet and bake until softened but not melted (about 2-3 minutes).

To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.

To assemble: Toss spinach with vinaigrette. Serve on individual salad plates, topping each portion with a cheese round.

For those who like their spinach cooked, here's a rich and yummy version of that classic, Creamed Spinach.

• 11/2 pounds fresh spinach, or one
• 16 oz. bag frozen
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Clean, cut and coarsely chop spinach if fresh. If frozen, allow to thaw then coarsely chop if necessary.

Heat oil in skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook slowly until onions are transparent and aromatic. Add spinach and cook a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Add butter, then stir in half-and-half followed by the cheese. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook a few more minutes until spinach is tender.

Fresh organic strawberries taste great without any adornment, or sprinkled lightly with vanilla sugar. And of course they are a vital component of many luscious summer desserts, from strawberry shortcake to strawberry pie. Here are a couple of recipes that highlight strawberries in a more savory role.This dressing tastes great in a spinach salad.

• One heaping pint fresh strawberries
• One teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• One tablespoon Dijon mustard
• One teaspoon salt
• Dash black pepper

Wash and stem strawberries. Cut half of them into thin slices. Put the rest in the blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Toss sliced strawberries with salad greens and top with dressing just before serving.

This sweet and sour take on that Middle Eastern classic, tabbouleh? Because of the fresh fruit content of this dressing, it does not have a lot of staying power. Use within a week.

• 11/2 cups bulgur wheat
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pints strawberries, chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

Combine bulgur and water. Bring to boil, cover, add salt, reduce heat, and cook until bulgur is tender (about 15 minutes). Fluff with fork and allow to cool. Combine with olive oil and lemon juice. Combine strawberries, parsley and mint in large bowl. Toast pecans. Add cooled bulgur mixture to strawberry mixture and toss gently. Top with pecans and serve.

Wendy Gordon is a writer and restaurant reviewer who lives in Portland, Oregon. She has a Masters Degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Chicago.