Recipe: Strawberry slaw with fig balsamic vinaigrette
Strawberries brighten this slaw. (Photo: Debbie Arrington) |
Early spring salads depend on something other than tomatoes to give them a burst of juicy flavor as contrast to crunchy greens.
Strawberries show off their savory side in this easy slaw with a touch of sweetness. Their bright color and tart taste work well with cabbage and spinach.
Although basic grape-based balsamic vinegar works in the vinaigrette, try fig or other fruit-based balsamic vinegar. It adds another note of sweet-tart flavor to accent the fresh strawberries.
Strawberry slaw with fig balsamic vinaigrette
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
8 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup cabbage, thinly shredded
1 cup spinach, shredded or torn
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped almonds
For vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large bowl, place sliced strawberries, cabbage, spinach, dried cranberries and almonds.
Prepare vinaigrette. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid (such as a half-pint mason jar), combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and shake until blended.
Pour vinaigrette over strawberry-cabbage mix. Toss lightly.
Serve immediately.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.