Farm-to-Table Blackberry Salad Recipe

While I was at a recent Salsa Y Salsa class I had the pleasure of eating this gorgeous salad made by Chef Denise Roa and her team.  It was created with ingredients fresh from our farm, La Cocina Que Canta, and I absolutely fell in love with it.  So of course, I had to ask Chef Roa for the recipe to share with all of you.  Since summer is here, this is a fitting salad to have outdoors on a warm evening.  The blackberries add a sweet burst of flavor that tastes divine with the smoky citrus of the balsamic dressing.

Serves 4

Salad ingredients:

• 2 cups of arugula
• 3 cups of mixed greens
• 1 cup of kale
• 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup of toasted pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
• 1 cup of blackberries

Basil-Balsamic Dressing ingredients:

Makes 1 ½ cups.

• 8 ounces freshly squeezed tangerine or orange juice
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 small shallot, peeled and minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large leaves fresh basil, chopped (1 tablespoon)
• 6 sprigs cilantro, stemmed and chopped (1 tablespoon) cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. One hour before serving, whisk together all of the ingredients. Add more salt according to taste and let chill until ready to serve.
2. Mix salad ingredients together and toss with dressing.

We hope you enjoy this delicious summer salad.  Of course you don’t need to have access to an organic farm to create this dish – just stop by your local farmer’s market for seasonal greens and berries!  Enjoy!