One of the few things I wanted to experience while working for the Marketing Dept at the University of Texas was to visit a farm. Nine months later my wish came true. Not only did I visit a farm, I visited two in the same day. Two Happy Children Farm and the Coyote Farm, which will be a story for another day. Seeing that this was my first visit to a farm, I was entirely unprepared. My white shorts and Sperrys would be soon covered with grass stains and mud.

My eagerness to frolic through the crops quickly plummeted, literally. I was stuck in the mud. Going through a field of artichokes wasn’t the most exciting experience either. I was getting eaten alive by bugs. However, the last crop we visited were.. strawberries! I dropped the one artichoke I had proudly harvested and quickly trekked across the farm to the neat green rows spotted with red.

If you get a chance this summer, I highly recommend strawberry picking! The first time you sink your teeth into a juicy strawberry that’s been slowly ripening in the sun is amazing.

Tip: If you do visit a farm to pick strawberries, make sure to keep them out of the sun. The one hour drive back resulted in strawberry preserves.

Strawberry Balsamic Salad

A fresh summer strawberry salad with spinach, feta, and candied walnuts dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup candied walnuts
• Balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

1. Wash baby spinach and use a salad spinner to whisk away the excess water. (Scroll down for win one!)
2. Wash and slice strawberries.
3. Toss together all the ingredients and dress with balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Serve immediately.
5. Optional: Add in grilled chicken breasts or bacon.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4