Spinach strawberry salad

-strawberries, thinly sliced
-cooked bowtie noodles
-spinach, rinsed
-1/2 cup dried cranberries
-1/2 cup feta cheese
- a small handful of chopped pecans
-poppyseed dressing

Mix as much as desired of each ingredient in a big bowl. Chill.
Top with dressing while serving.

greek panzanella

• Good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• Kosher salt
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Grape Salad

(Recipe from Amy Powell)


GRAPE SALAD

• 4lbs of seedless grapes (green or purple) 
• 1 tub Cool Whip (or 8oz package of cream cheese) 
• 1 8 oz container sour cream 
• 1/2 cup white sugar* 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 4 ounces chopped walnuts (or pecans) 
• 4 tbsp brown sugar 

Wash and dry grapes. In a large bowl, combine Cool Whip, sour cream, vanilla, and white sugar. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts, mix again and refrigerate until serving. 


* I do a little less white sugar if using Cool Whip, and usually mix about half the topping (brown sugar and nuts) into the salad and sprinkle the rest on top. I usually add more nuts into it too.