Almost Summer Salad

Today it really feels like summer is on its way. Here in Minnesota it seems we went right from winter to summer and missed spring completely. Just three days ago it snowed, now it is in the seventies and gorgeous. So I've enjoyed the day by going for a long run, relaxing on my porch with the windows open, and making a delicious salad that looks like summer. I'm posting two pictures, one of an earlier salad that had all the same ingredients as today's salad plus macerated berries. I didn't have the macerated berries on hand today, so the second pic is of the salad I made today. The pickled onions in this pic are a little more red than the first pic because they had soaked a little longer. I love the bright fuchsia color of the onions against the yellow mango. Superimpose these two salads, and you have the best version of both. 

Almost Summer Salad:

Salad greens
1 mango chopped into cubes
1/2 c. pickled onions
1 carrot sliced
1/2 avocado chopped into cubes
1/4 c. goji berries or 1/4 c. macerated berries

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss with salad dressing of your choice. I love an aged balsamic vinegar even though it isn't raw. Tonight I mixed the aged vinegar with a fig vinegar and some olive oil. Another dressing I like with this fruity salad is a citrus vinaigrette.  Combine some apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and some orange zest with a little salt and voila.

To pickle red onions: Slice red onions and place in a mason jar with 1 c. apple cider vingar, 1/2 c. beet juice and a bay leaf.  Soak overnight to get the brilliant color. Enjoy on salads.

To macerate berries: Put any kind of dried superfruit in a small jar with 1/2 c. of apple cider vinegar. Let sit for a couple of days. Then enjoy on salads. I use a combination of whatever I have on hand. Often it is goji berries, mulberries, goldenberries, and currants or golden raisins. These berries really take an ordinary salad and boost it to fine cuisine.

I hope your day was as beautiful as mine.