Strawberry Hazelnut Salad
I just returned home from a long weekend in beautiful Napa where I had the Strawberry Hazelnut Salad I am going to share with you today. But first, let me share a bit about my trip. I was there for business but managed to fit in a bit of fun too. Our host Joanne inspired me to try canning before summer ends. She shared her Drunken Figs with us Saturday night. I am going to try and wrangle the recipe out of her to share with all of you. They were delicious.
Meadowbrook Farm was our home base for the weekend. One afternoon I took a long walk around their vineyard, met Drambuie their horse and visited the chicken coop. The apple trees were heavy with apples. Oh the cooking possibilities their garden held.
I met new friends and had the opportunity to sample wine from their vineyards. I must admit it was very cool. One of them was MadoroM Wine. Marissa and Andy Amador collaborated with winemaker Mike Blom to create Cabernets and Merlots. I believe we sampled a 2004 or 2005 Cabernet and it was lovely. Our hosts have a private label Meadowbrook Farm and they served us both their Cabernet and Chardonnay. Sadly I don’t believe it is available for sale.
Saturday we went to Tra Vigne for lunch. I first visited there about ten years ago and had a few memorable dishes. This time we sat out on the patio and enjoyed another wonderful meal. One of the dishes we tried was Grilled Padron Peppers topped with grey salt. They were simple but oh so good.
I had their Strawberry Hazelnut Salad. Of course I had to try and recreate it for you. I wish I had the amazing balsamic vinegar I purchased but it has not arrived here yet. More about that later, in the meantime enjoy the salad.
Strawberry Hazelnut Salad
Serves 4
Mixed greens
1/2 cup strawberries stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup hazelnuts toasted and chopped
3 ounces goat cheese, shaved
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Place the mixed greens on a platter and top with the strawberries. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top and finish with the shaved goat cheese. Serve with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.
I mixed up balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a tablespoon of dijon mustard and finished it with salt and pepper.