By Kelly Bogard

Bluebonnets. Baby calves. Telltale signs of spring in the Lone Star State. But the sticky sweetness and slight tartness of Texas strawberries lets my taste buds know spring has truly sprung.

Bite, slice or dip. Strawberries are just plain delicious.

And a crate full arrived at our office last week from longtime farmer Cora Lamar in Poteet.

Bright red berries, like the ones Cora grows, take center stage at the Poteet Strawberry Festival. It kicks off today and runs through Sunday and has everything from a strawberry auction to a parade. You can also meet some local strawberry growers. They really get into their berries.

And so will you. One bite of this week’s recipe, featuring fresh, Texas-grown strawberries, and you’ll know why!

For Strawberry Spinach Salad, you will need…Strawberry Spinach Salad
5 to 6 large strawberries
1 lb. thin chicken breasts
1 small pkg. baby spinach
1 cup walnuts
1 cup Feta cheese
½ small red onion
¼ tsp. olive or grapeseed oil
Balsamic vinaigrette

This salad makes for a tasty, light lunch. Pairing savory and sweet is always a winner for me. You can make this for a crowd in a big bowl or for individual serving throughout the week.

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees for the walnuts. Then, get started on the chicken by heating the oil in a large skillet. Add in the chicken to saute with your preferred chicken spices.
Strawberry Spinach Salad

Now that the chicken is cooking, turn your attention to the walnuts. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven for approximately three minutes. Stir and return for another couple of minutes or until the nuts begin to brown. Once they are toasted, set aside to cool.
Strawberry Spinach Salad

By now, your chicken is cooked through, so set it aside to cool as well. While waiting for everything to cool, thin slice the onion into rings and cut the strawberries into large slices. Crumble the Feta if you didn’t buy it pre-crumbled. Slice the cooled chicken into strips.
Strawberry Spinach Salad

Finally, assemble your salad and enjoy!
Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is an easy make-ahead dish that can be enjoyed by one or by all. I hope you have the chance to get out this weekend and go see some of the great people of Poteet. A special thanks to Cora and Oak Hill Farms for this week’s berries. They were delicious. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Recipe: Strawberry Spinach Salad

Summary: Sweet, savory and perfect for spring

Ingredients

Strawberry Spinach Salad

  • 5 to 6 large strawberries
  • 1 lb. thin chicken breasts
  • 1 small pkg. baby spinach
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup Feta cheese
  • ½ small red onion
  • ¼ tsp. olive or grapeseed oil
  • Balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Heat oil in large skillet and saute seasoned chicken.
  • Toast walnuts on baking sheet in oven for 3 minutes. Stir and put back in for another two minutes.
  • Set chicken and walnuts aside to cool.
  • Thin slice onion into rings.
  • Slice strawberries.
  • Crumble cheese.
  • Slice chicken into strips.
  • Assemble for number of servings needed.

Cooking time (duration): 0 hour(s), 15 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 4-6

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