Avocado Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

6 cups baby spinach
1 pt Strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 avocado, diced
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Half small red onion

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 c. oil
3 Tbs. Apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Honey
1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
Pinch of ground dry mustard
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients and toss with salad.

Salads

Considerations in Selecting a Salad Recipe:

Choose a particular salad for:

1. How it enhances the main course


2. Eye appeal, color, texture


3. Flavor, sweet, sour...is it filling, or more of an appetizer


4. Nutrition, roughage


5. Because it contains favorite ingredients that your family enjoys


6. Because it uses seasonal ingredients that are presently available


7. Considering how far ahead of serving time it can be prepared. Does it fit into your time schedule the way it has to be prepared?


8. Can you use up some leftover ingredients you have on hand?


9. How transportable the salad is: Can it be kept cold enough?


10. How long will it keep? Can it be prepared at home to take camping and keep will for several days?


11. Will it be company fare? Decide the serving utensil you will use. Will you need to double the recipe, etc.


12. Does it fit special dietary needs of your family members or of your guests?

Fresh Salads give a cook full opportunity to display her creative cooking talents. Any combination of ingredients that her mind and palate tells her will be in good taste. Here is a list of ingredients that might be used in a salad:

Fruits: raisins, apples, oranges, dates, grapefruit, prunes, pineapple, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, maraschino cherries.

Raw Vegetables: celery, carrots, green peppers, green onions, sweet white onions, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumbers, turnips, tomatoes, avocados, radishes, alfalfa sprouts, peas.

Cooked Vegetables: asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, onions, peas, pimiento, artichoke hearts, potatoes, beets, beans (Lima, green, wax, kidney, garbanzo).

Greens: escarole, romaine, watercress, lettuce (leaf, iceberg, bibb, boston), cabbage (green and red), curly endive.

Cheese: Roquefort, blue, Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan, cream, cottage, feta.

Meat, Poultry, Fish: ham, turkey, salami, beef, shrimp, lobster, chicken, salmon, tuna, sardines, frankfurters, corned beef, bacon.

Nuts: walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds.

Herbs: oregano, saffron, horseradish, curry powder, Italian herbs, salad seasonings.

Seeds: sunflower, toasted sesame, celery, caraway, dill.

Miscellaneous: water chestnuts, hard cooked eggs, olives, both ripe and green, pickles, marshmallows, macaroni, rice, pickled beets.