Last year was my first experience at growing strawberries.  I put them in a container meaning to plant them into the ground later, but it never got done.  It was actually a blessing in disguise because it introduced my little girl (5 years old) to gardening!

We set the container on a table outside that was the perfect height for her to “check on them” everyday.  She claimed them as her own, which was so cute because I could her hear talking to her little plants when I was working outside.  Later on when they started to bear fruit, she would look everyday to see if there was a strawberry ready for picking.  I let her decide when they were perfect, hence she learned to wait until they were a brilliant red. It’s no fun eating a semi-red strawberry!

Here is a recipe for a wonderful salad that uses fresh stawberries. It is the perfect salad for strawberry season!  Besides the berries, it is filled with walnuts, red onion, crumbled feta cheese and a homemade onion poppyseed dressing.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

 Into a large mixing bowl place:

      Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

     1 medium red onion, finely chopped

      2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

      1 – 4 oz. container crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese

This can be tossed ahead of time.  Then right before serving, toss with:

      2 cups fresh sliced strawberries, washed and hulled

Then add the following dressing…..

Onion Poppyseed Dressing

Into a blender, put:

      1/2 cup sugar

      1/4 cup white vinegar

      1 t onion powder

      1/2 t  salt

      1/8 t  black pepper

      1 t  dry mustard

Blend on high speed for 5 minutes.  Then add:

     2/3 cup vegetable oil

      1 T  poppyseeds

Blend on high for about 2 minutes.  Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to toss with the salad. For some added color and flavor, try adding some cubed cantalope along with the strawberries!