Spring = Strawberries + Spinach

Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of summer, but this year's holiday came so early in the month, I'm still calling it spring! Our family's lunch gathering after the two-county cemetery tour was a good meal for spring or summer. Juicy hamburgers (from Stephens' beef, of course), potato salad, baked beans, salad and dessert. I contributed the salad and dessert. It was a chance to make the yummy Coconut Cream (with ice cream) Dessert (blog of June 2, 2012) that I only make for a special occasion because it is so good we would eat it all.
The salad was a new recipe for me and was well liked. Strawberries and fresh spinach are fresh spring flavors that brought a lightness to the meal. I read that eating a serving of strawberries 3 times a week can lower a woman's risk of heart attack by over 30%. With that in mind, I should be heart healthy this spring.

Strawberry Spinach Salad          

Salad was almost gone by the time I took the pic!

Dressing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup white sugar
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salad Ingredients:
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered (I used sliced)

Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
Since this was a 'take and eat later' salad, I waited until serving time to add the dressing to the spinach and strawberries, then sprinkled the almonds on top.