Philly Fresh

The first trip to the farmer's market is always a treat, even more so with my sister and her delicious child for company.  At the Glenside Farmer's Market, just north of Philadelphia, I couldn't resist a green corrugated carton of the juiciest just picked strawberries, as far removed from those ginormous, woody supermarket berries as apples are from oranges. 

Another salad: candy sweet strawberries, slightly tart dressing, creamy goat cheese and toasty walnuts--perfection!

Strawberry Salad

Serves 4

2 c. stawberries, hulled, divided

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 T dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c. mild flavored oil

1/4 c. walnut oil

1 5 oz. log of goat cheese, crumbled

3/4 c. chopped walnuts, toasted

6 oz. greens--baby arugula and spinach are nice

Blend 1 c. strawberries with next 5 ingredients in food processor.  With motor running, add oils.  Taste for balance and seasoning.  Slice remaining cup of strawberries.  Arrange greens on plates.  Top with goat cheese, walnuts, strawberries and dressing. 

Feeling Blue

Blue cheese makes me feel like a grown up.  Until very recently, I couldn't even look at a hunk o' blue without surpressing a shudder.  You see, blue cheese is riddled with mold, and I've been phobic of mold ever since I unwittingly popped a piece of pre-cut supermarket canteloupe into my mouth only to find--after I began chewing--that it was covered in four layers of fuzz.  But somewhere, somehow, I recovered from my trauma, my tastebuds matured and I overcame my aversion.  Oh happy day!  Now I lick blue cheese off my fingers like it was frosting.  I'd rather have blue cheese than ice cream.  And this blue cheese dressing satisfies my every craving.

Easy Blue Cheese Dressing

Serves 2

2 T mayonnaise

2 T plain yogurt

1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

few dashes of hot pepper sauce

2 oz. blue cheese, more or less

Whisk together the first four ingredients.  Stir in blue cheese.  Pour liberally over salad greens and sliced tomato.  Crumbled bacon would taste good too.  Sprinkle with additional blue cheese and freshly ground black pepper.