We are  back! I know the blog has been dormant for the month of August, but you can expect many more delicious recipes to come your way. I have had the privilege to take a long vacation and even if I have continued cooking, tinkering and eating I have not written down any of the recipes I have created in detail.

However, here is the first! It is my favourite time of the year, late summer and early fall when the labour of local farmers comes to fruition and results in bountiful harvests. Throughout August and September, I try exclusively to eat local produce. Not only does it spur the local economy but it is also damn delicious. 

This salad, as you can guess, should be made with as many locally and freshly sourced ingredients as you can get your mitts on. The quality of the ingredients will make-or-break this salad. By using local fresh vegetables, this will be a vibrant meal that refreshes you on a warm, waning summer day.

A few notes here before we jump in: the dressing should make enough for more than one salad, in our house it was enough for two batches of this salad. Additionally, you can view each individual component of this salad as interchangeable with whatever your favourite salad ingredients are. As you will see, I do not list exact proportions in the recipe, I leave it to your discretion to decide how much or each ingredient you wish to add to your own creation. Let this salad come to life with your individuality and favourite fresh ingredients!

Active time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Salad:

• Greens (lettuce, arugula, baby spinach, etc.)
• Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Fresh tomato, diced
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Bocconcini, halved
• Fresh basil, torn into small pieces
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Begin by making the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the sugar and salt levels. These can vary based on the sweetness of the raspberries used. 
2. Heat a pan on medium low heat. Add in the slivered almonds and toast until golden and fragrant then set aside.
3. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl using preferred proportions. Toss with the salad dressing and finish off with the slivered almonds. Do one final taste check to make sure the salad is adequately salted. Eat immediately and enjoy!