PJ Ballard is the Oakland Medical Center's Public Affairs expert who helped get our market publicized when it started. Her father was a professional chef. The cooking gene skipped a generation. PJ, who agreed to be quoted, has said "The only thing I can make are reservations." She prints my weekly recipes but has never made one. Only recently did she move beyond lettuce to a spinach salad at a local restaurant. This week's recipe is in honor of PJ Ballard in the hope that she will try it.
PJ – this is really simple and good. I hope you try it.
Ingredients
- Vinaigrette
- 2 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
- 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup raspberries, mashed with a fork
- Salad
- 6 to 8 cups spinach leaves from Happy Boys Farms, San Juan Bautista
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces or chopped hazelnuts, toasted (1/4 cup provides one day's worth of omega-3 fatty acid)
- 1/2 cup raspberries from VB Farms, Watsonville
- Crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese optional
Directions
Whisk the olive oil into the other blended ingredients. Toast the walnuts in a 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly browned and aromatic. Dress the salad. Toss with the nuts.