Strawberry Spinach Salad

Carol showed me the plan. She'd been sketching it out — a corner garden near the lilac hedge, maybe ten feet across, with a low stone border she'd found at a salvage place in Stowe, and a specific set of plants: Helen's favorites from the years Carol had observed her in this garden. Peonies, which Helen loved unreasonably. The climbing rose she'd had by the kitchen door before the trellis gave out. Iris in the blue she always chose. And at the center, a small Japanese maple for the autumn color, because Helen used to say the Japanese maple in the village was the most beautiful single tree she knew.

I said: when did you start planning this? She said: after you found the 1987 notebook. I said: that was over a year ago. She said: I wanted to have it right. That's my sister: a year of planning to make sure it was right before she brought it to the table. I said: let's do it this spring. She said: I already ordered the plants. They arrive May fifteenth.

We walked the corner together in the late afternoon, measuring it, talking about what goes where. The light was good, the lilacs were in early bloom, the farm was its April best. I said: she'd have opinions about this. Carol said: she'd have improved every choice I made. I said: yes. Carol said: then we'll dedicate it to her anyway and let her think we got it wrong. I said: that's exactly right.

We came inside from that corner of the farm with dirt on our shoes and lilac smell still on our coats, and I wanted something that matched the afternoon — bright and unhurried, the kind of thing you put together without much fuss because the day itself has already done all the work. Carol stayed for dinner, and I made this strawberry spinach salad, the one I come back to every April when the farm feels like it’s waking up. It isn’t a complicated dish, but that felt right: Helen would have had no patience for a complicated dish on a spring evening when there was a garden to plan and opinions to form about where the iris should go.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

6 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Toast the almonds. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sliced almonds for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Prep the salad base. Place the baby spinach in a large salad bowl. Arrange the sliced strawberries and red onion over the top.
Add toppings. Scatter the toasted almonds and crumbled feta evenly over the salad.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Strawberry Spinach Salad — Something Fresh for the Garden We’re Finally Building