I really want salad. Last week I stood in front of the lettuce at my local market much longer than anyone should. I almost felt paralyzed looking at the full shelves of lettuce no one was buying. Another recall, another headline, another reminder that something as ordinary as making a summer salad now comes with some careful navigation.
But then I remember the downtown Wednesday farmers market with all the locally raised produce, and the one that happens again on Fridays in a different part of town, and again on Saturdays in yet another location. And as I’m thinking about how lucky I am to have so many farmers market choices this summer, I spot a small section of bagged lettuce greens grown by a local organic hydroponic farm.
My shoulders drop before I even reach for the bag. I turn it over, check the label, make sure my choice feels like a safe one. Then it goes in the cart. I’m making salad tonight.
When my girls were little, we belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and drove out to the farm each week to collect our bounty. My daughters loved running through the rows, sitting under the fruit trees, picking berries and whatever vegetables were ready that week. No visit was complete without a meander past the pigs, the chickens, the cows, then a stop in the farm store for one more treat, something warm from the oven if we timed it right. We’d spend half the day there and still, when the girls were ready to go, I’d be wandering the farm a little longer, not quite ready to leave it behind.
I’d bring home flats of berries from the farm, and gather more from the blackberry brambles up the road from our house. I used them in everything; a savory summer sauce for grilled pork chops, a berry relish for grilled fish, upside-down berry cake, muffins, and always scattered over salads just because.
I’m not sure if that farm still exists. I’ve moved away from that part of Washington, and my girls are grown women now. These days, they both love shopping our local farmers markets and often send me photos of their fresh food hauls.
By early August, when the blackberries begin to ripen and I can smell them before I see them, that old farm always comes to mind. Oregon blueberries also arrive this time of year, and between the two, I stop panicking about lettuce recalls and simply search for more local options. Salad, finally, without the second-guessing.
Back in those CSA years, there was one salad in particular I made every summer, and this year I find myself craving it all over again: my Blackberry and Burrata Salad, from The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook.
So here it is, my Blackberry and Burrata Salad. It’s best when the berries are still warm from the sun and the season feels like it might last forever.
Wishing you peace, love & light,
Karista
During my career, I’ve had a few obsessions. One of them was berries. If you love berries in all sorts of recipes, savory as well as sweet, I included several in The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook, and a few in For the Love of Seafood. I love fish paired with fruit so much, I once pitched a cookbook to my publisher called Fish with Fruit. I’ve also posted a few berry recipes on my website HERE.
Blackberry Burrata Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff here)
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinaigrette
2 tablespoons (or a splash more) warm honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Tablespoon or two of water (this keeps the vinaigrette from feeling too heavy)
Salt and pepper to taste
Add ingredients to a jelly jar and shake vigorously until ingredients are blended. Or add ingredients to a bowl and whisked until combined. On occasion when I have too much fresh thyme in my fridge, I finely mince about 1 teaspoon fresh thyme and add it to this vinaigrette. Sometimes I omit the Dijon and add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. I have to admit, I use this vinaigrette for most of the salads I make at home. It’s my go to vinaigrette these days.
For the Salad
6-8 ounces salad greens
1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pint fresh blackberries
1 to 2 knobs Burrata cheese, sliced or torn right before serving the salad
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
Handful toasted pine nuts or chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)
Pinch of course sea salt and pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, add the salad greens and lightly dress with the vinaigrette, reserving some for serving.
Layer four salad plates with salad greens and then top with halved cherry tomatoes, blackberries, torn or sliced Burrata, and garnish with basil and nuts. Dust with salt and pepper.
Serve the salads immediately with extra dressing on the side.
Always love your posts. When I first read the title I thought it said Berries of Belonging... which also has a nice ring to it! 😅 Love all the berries I've been introduced to hear in the PNW. Finally planning a trip to Bend in the fall.