Everything but the Kitchen Sink in this Salad. . .

Garland's Oak Creek Lodge has a refreshing Mixed Salad with Celery Seed Vinaigrette on page 43 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

We like salads that are creative so we often add additional ingredients. Perfect for summer meals.
Try grilled chicken breast, roasted asparagus, candied pecans sprinkled with cinnamon, blueberries, yellow baby pear tomatoes, sliced apples. What is your favorite combination for a summer salad?

Mixed Greens with Pears, Roquefort and Pecans with Celery Seed Vinaigrette from Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge page 43

Celery Seed Vinaigrette

1/3 cup raspberry white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped yellow onion
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup walnut oil
1/3 cup canola oil
½ teaspoon celery seeds

Salad

1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
4 large red Bartlett pears or Anjou pears
4 quarts mixed salad greens, rinsed and spun dry
1 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese

For the Vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, onion, salt, walnut oil, canola oil and celery seeds in a 2-cup glass measure and blend until smooth. Use a hand-held blender, if desired.

For the salad, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toss the pecans with the olive oil and salt in a bowl and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted. Pour 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette into a 1-quart bowl. Quarter and core one pear at a time and slice each quarter lengthwise into ¼-inch wedges into the vinaigrette. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Place the mixed salad greens in a large bowl and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide among eight salad plates. Sprinkle the cheese around the salad greens. Arrange five pear wedges on each salad and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

Caprese Salad with Baby Pear Tomatoes

Can't get enough of these wonderful Baby Pear Tomatoes with mozarella slices and fresh basil. Be creative with your favorite spices, green onion, parsley, finely chopped celery, balsamic vinegar and enjoy the tastes of summer.

Schnepf Farms and The Olive Mill in Queen Creek offers several choices of flavored vinegars, olive oils and dressings. You can also pick up a copy of Tastes & Treasures there.

Fresh Summer Salad

Experimenting with salad is wonderful in the summer. Starting with romaine and mixed spring greens I added red and yellow sweet peppers, green onion, baby pear tomatoes (from my garden), celery, a peach, strawberries, avocado and sliced toasted almonds. League member Kay Holcombe and I are ready to share the feast.

Topped it off with a delightful Peach Pecan Dressing from Schnepf Farm. It was so good, next time I am putting the Peach Pecan Dressing on my toast. Schnepf Farms also carries Tastes & Treasures cookbook so east Valley folks can buy it there.