Red, White & Blue Salad: Happy July 4th!

This salad was born from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box last summer. It was only afterward that I realized it was a perfect red, white and blue dish! Now, many dishes you'll see for the July 4th holiday are made with artificial dyes. Who ever said it was acceptable to make a big bowl of Jell-o and call it a salad? This here is a real salad. And, even though our reds, whites and blues might not be quite as bright as the artificial stuff, they sure are a helluva lot healthier and tastier.

We start with a base of gorgeous red-leaf lettuce...

we throw in some berries and grapes and cheese and red onion...

and we get a beautiful, delicious salad. Serve it as a meal or a side dish. Just serve it!

These measurements are approximate—feel free to play around with amounts to fit your liking.

Ingredients

serves 2-4

• 4 cups red leaf lettuce, torn
• 1/8 cup red onion, sliced paper-thin
• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup red grapes
• 1/4 cup bleu cheese*, crumbled (I used a Saga Blue)

• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

*unpasteurized bleu cheese is not recommended during pregnancy.

Wash the lettuce and put in a bowl in the fridge to crisp. Cut your onions as thinly as possible; I use a mandolin to get them paper-thin.

You can see through these, they're so thin.

Add the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to a glass jar and shake vigorously; taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. By the way, I know that vinaigrette traditionally has more oil than vinegar. But I always prefer a lighter, tarter dressing. If your onion is very strong (or you just don't love raw onion), pour a bit of the dressing over the onions and let them soak for a few minutes; it'll break them down a bit and give them a milder taste.

Toss the lettuce with some of the dressing (you'll have more than you need in the jar; reserve the rest for tomorrow!) until it is lightly coated. Toss in onions. Then top with the blueberries, grapes, and crumbled cheese.

It's colorful, it's easy, it's light, it's nutritious...

 ...it's the perfect dish to serve on July 4th!

So, dig in! 

Happy Independence Day, friends!