A marriage that began in the 70’s and is still going strong today is the arugula and strawberry salad. A mainstay of the once popular wicker and fern restaurants, the combination of peppery arugula and juicy sweet strawberries, unlike the leisure suit, still holds up today. We have several stages of growth in our arugula, thanks to Joe’s staggered plantings. I wanted to use the smaller leaves for salad as I thinned out the row. I took advantage of some of the first local strawberries from the farmers market, organic walnuts and creamy goat cheese to make this classic combination.
Arugula and Strawberry Salad
adapted slightly from Epicurious
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 2T sherry vinegar
- 1 1/2 t fresh lemon juice
- 2t finely minced shallot
- 1t (or to taste) sugar
- 2T canola oil
- 1T walnut oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8c arugula, washed and spun dry, tough stems discarded
- 1 1/2 c strawberries, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
- 1/2c fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
- Roast nuts in a shallow baking pan at 350F until fragrant and slightly browned, about 6-8 minutes, watch carefully. Cool nuts then coarsely chop.
- Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, sugar. Add oils in a slow stream, whisking until well combined. Season dressing to taste with additional salt, pepper and a pinch more sugar.
- Toss together arugula, strawberries, walnuts and dressing to taste. Divide among salad plates, dot with goat cheese and a grind of freshly ground pepper.