Spinach Salad

I've never been much of a salad lover... I mostly always prefer it with no dressing. Salad dressing grossed me out for most of my life. There was nothing very appealing to me about that funny smelling stuff that'd been sitting in the fridge for who knows how long. Thousand Island? --A mixture between ketchup and mayo and pickle relish essentially...on lettuce? No thank you. I prefer to just wash lettuce and eat it wet with salt and a few toppings.  I never liked spinach either because I was only introduced to the cooked variety.

Well, as I've gotten older I've found myself liking more and more things. Something my parents always told me would happen that I never believed! 

...Still don't think I could stomach Thousand Island, but fresh spinach is great, and a friend in Colorado opened my mind to trying dressings with this delicious salad she made. So so good! Anyway - this is pretty much the only tasty salad I know how to make...so, before I share this recipe, I am making a plea to anyone who reads this blog: Please share your salad recommendations and recipes with me! I need to add more vegetables to our diet and we have access to garden fresh spinach!

Skagit Salad

Ashley Cox

1/2 cup cashews
1/4 tbs. bacon, cut into bits
1/2 or a little more cauliflower
1 bag of fresh spinach

Dressing:
1 green onion, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup wine vinegar or red vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup salad oil

Toast cashews in a Tbsp. of butter until lightly brown. Fry bacon, cut into bits. Break cauliflower into bite-size pieces and blanch in boiling waters for 3-4 minutes. Combine dressing ingredients together. Then add spinach to bowl - top with cooled cauliflower, bacon, cashews and dressing.
 
Note: Half the amount of dressing is more than enough. I've substituted carrots cooked until just tender and cooled for the cauliflower or left it out altogether. If you add the green onion separately you can save some of the dressing for later in the fridge. Just be sure to date it and don’t hang on to it too long and gross out your picky eaters! :)