Summer Salad

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I love summer produce. It's so hard to decide which fruit I like most, but nectarines are WAY up there. I also love raspberries, blueberries, and melons. We had a fantastic Crenshaw melon this week. I think it would make a delicious sorbet. And right now is prime cherry time around here. We are getting a fridge for the garage so we can pick and store produce year round. Will pitting cherries be worth it in January?

Our little garden is finally pulling its weight too, although we still won't get any cucumbers for a while. Most of the tomato plants have fruit started, the peas are coming on strong, and the beans will be ready in a week or so. Tonight we had a great easy summer dinner. Pita and hummus, honeydew melon, snow peas straight from the garden, and a delicious salad featuring delicate greens also from the garden. Kyle concocted this salad a year ago and it's become one of our favorites. Here's the recipe for you to try:

5 cups salad greens or lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn
3/4 cup cherries, quartered
one grapefruit, supremed and sliced
(zest grapefruit first for dressing, and squeeze juice from leftovers)
2/3 C nuts (We like candied walnuts or pecans. We've also tried macadamia.)
1/3 C red onion, small dice
1/2 C jicama or celery, small dice
1/3 C goat or bleu cheese crumbles

Dressing:

Just add 3 T grapefruit juice and 1 T zest to a basic sweet vinaigrette recipe. However, because the citrus is already quite tangy, reduce the vinegar (I use white wine) and increase the sugar to taste. Toss the salad lightly, but let each person add the dressing.

I hope you enjoy!

What summer produce item is top on your list?