Eating food, fresh from the garden is such a treat, like lettuce, juicy, sweet, strawberries, garlic scapes and herbs. When the strawberries which are in season, like now, I use them in every recipe I can find!
Chicken and Strawberry Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette
The chocolate seems a bit weird but it does work. The original recipe called for melted dark chocolate which made it too complicated so I switched to cocoa powder. Start with 1 Tbsp cocoa and then add more to taste. No cocoa nibs—use sunflower seeds or your favourite nut. If the dressing is too thick add a bit more oil or water. This dressing has lots of flavour so a little goes a long way!
1 lb boneless chicken breast
6 cups of fresh garden lettuce
2-3 cups strawberries, sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
2 Tbsp cocoa powder more if needed
1/4 cup sunflower seed or olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon or grainy mustard
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
In oven or a skillet cook the chicken breast for 20 minutes, or until no longer pink inside with internal temperature of 165°F. Let cool and slice.
In a large bowl toss together lettuce, strawberries, cucumber, feta, cocoa nibs and chicken.
In a separate bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and hot sauce. Adjust the flavours to taste—more cocoa, honey, mustard or vinegar.
Divide the salad among four plates or bowls and drizzle with chocolate vinaigrette.
Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Crumble
The strawberries sweeten the mixture enough to keep the sugar down. I used maple syrup instead of the brown sugar.
1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups chopped strawberries
3 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 star anise, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp spelt flour
TOPPING
1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 cup almond flour
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
Preheat oven to 375°F
Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, ginger, star anise and flour, then spoon mixture into a 4-cup baking dish.
For topping, combine oats, almond flour, butter, sugar in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs. Scatter over the rhubarb mixture.
Bake until rhubarb is bubbling and topping is crunchy, 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve with yogurt or whipping cream.
