Wilted Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries and a Balsamic Bacon Vinaigrette

This recipe is courtesy of Van Till Farms, Rayville.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound bacon, diced

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon blackberry jam

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound 4 ounces fresh baby spinach

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced

1/4 cup almonds, sliced and roasted

Directions:

In a medium non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until oil just starts to lightly smoke.

Add bacon and cook until brown and crisp; lower the heat to medium-low and very carefully add vinegar and jam. (Vinegar may splatter when added to the hot grease.)

Cook until slightly reduced about 10 to 15 minutes and adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper, set aside.

Place your spinach and onions in a large heatproof mixing bowl.

Bring vinegar-and-bacon dressing back to a boil over high heat, then pour dressing directly over greens. Toss quickly.

Place salad on serving plates. Garnish with fresh strawberries and toasted almonds.

Photo by Andrew Barton.