End of Summer Chopped Salad with Citrus Honey Viniagrette

  As I declared and made official in my last post, summer is not over. 

It's still August (I think?). And it's still warm. And Labor Day is still a few days out.

Since I know you don't mind, I will carry on with my summer-related nonsense. Sorry I didn't get my act together for you guys about three months ago, but you can just pin this little number on your "Summer 2013" board and get pumped for next June.

I usually don't eat salad with dressing (I know, I know, it's weird), but when I make salads for dinner, I feel like I should provide Nick with a dressing option that actually complements the salad (he will typically just balsamic-vinegar-and-oil anything in a bowl). And then I just do a teeny, tiny drizzle on mine just to test it out.

The last time my mom was in town, she took me on an amazing throw-anything-in-the-cart-because-I-am-the-best-mom-ever Whole Foods shopping trip (love you, Mama!). While we were there, she recommended the O Citrus Champagne Vinegar that I used for the dressing. It's light, fresh and not too sharp- you can taste it, but it doesn't interfere with the other flavors of the salad. 

What can I say? My mom and I are a couple of geniuses. ;)

Before I go, have we talked about getting kids to eat salad?

It is one of my great quests as a parent to have my children enjoy salads. I was completely against salads as a child. My cousin used to eat lettuce straight from the bag and I thought she was IN-SANE. (Turns out she was the smart one and the healthy one- can't imagine why.)

Sometimes the whole idea seems futile, but I hope they'll appreciate the effort someday.

I try to make salads as meals pretty frequently, so when I fix a toddler plate, I just use a smaller bed of lettuce and more of the toppings. Then, gradually, as the kids grow and get used to it, they will get more greens. I also try to sneak spinach or kale into everything- eggs, smoothies, wraps/sandwiches, desserts- I think that helps with flavor recognition (which is totally a real thing, I'm sure).

This particular salad was a toddler win for us- you really can't go wrong if you've got fruit and bacon in the mix. If you want your kids to eat salad, just try adding a leaf or two of spinach to their plate each time. Eventually, they will wonder what it is and put it in their mouth.

End of Summer Chopped Salad with Citrus Honey Vinaigrette
by Oven Love
serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium cucumber, sliced or diced
• 1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 8-10 cherries, pitted and halved
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons citrus champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Divide spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, bacon, avocado, cherries and feta cheese between two bowls.
2. Whisk vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salads and enjoy!