Once you pick your own blueberries it is difficult to go back to buying them in a store. When I moved to the Jersey shore I fell in love with blueberry picking. Nothing beats the taste of freshly picked blueberries. The kids love going blueberry picking and I love creating recipes with our bounty. Our favorite place to go is DiMeo Fruit Farms & Berry Plants Garden Center in Hammonton, NJ. We were one of the first ones who picked last week for the season and as always, we had so much fun.
On the way home from the farm the kids and I discussed what to make. They voted for popsicles which got made but I had my heart set on a salad. First, I created the vinaigrette by combining blueberries, rice vinegar, oil, mustard, a scallion, garlic, salt and pepper. I gave that a good blend in my Cuisinart Smart Stick.
If you joined a CSA you are probably getting a lot of greens right about now. My green of choice is kale but you can substitute whatever greens you have. If you are using kale, give it a good massage until it starts to soften and deepen in color. Add the toasted pecans, feta and blueberries and toss that with the salad dressing.
This salad is bursting with flavor from the blueberries. The sweetness is balanced perfectly with the saltiness of the feta and the pecans give it just the right amount of crunch. This is going to be my go to salad for the summer, especially while blueberries are in season!
- Salad
- 1 bunch of kale, leaves torn from stem and thinly sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ½ cup toasted, chopped pecans
- Vinaigrette
- ¾ cup blueberries
- 1 scallion, trimmed and sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Add kale to large salad bowl and massage until it starts to soften and deepen in color. Add ½ cup blueberries, pecans and feta.
- In a blender or food processor combine vinaigrette ingredients (3/4 cup blueberries through honey) until smooth. Pour dressing onto salad and toss well.
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