a lovely spring salad

In appreciation of warmer days ahead, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to zhush up a few store-bought salad fixings. 

 

I love the pre-washed spring salad mixes that contain baby lettuces, spinach, radicchio and other yummy greens.  

 

To that I like to add halved strawberries and a few edible pansies from the garden. Walnuts are a final addition and feta would be nice too, but I’m eating paleo, so no cheese for me! 

 

Here’s the recipe for my favorite and simple vinaigrette that compliments this salad perfectly.   

 

Simple Vinaigrette for a Spring Salad

 

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar 

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup  

1 tablespoon shallot, very finely minced 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

freshly ground pepper to taste 

Here’s my favorite tip... Whisk your dressing right into the salad bowl while it's empty. It'll be one less bowl to wash, and it actually helps coat the salad better. 

 

In case you’re wondering, this salad bowl is from Vagabond House, and it was a really thoughtful birthday gift from my sister-in-law, Deborah. 

 

She knows how much I love Vagabond House, and she and I share a mutual love of lilacs, so the pewter lilac details on this set has a much deeper meaning to us! 

ciao! fabiana 

 

 

 

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You can find the Lilacs Salad Bowl HERE.

farmhouse style kitchens 2021

Just popping in today to share the latest issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style’s special Kitchen issue. It comes out only once a year, and I was fortunate enough to have contributed a few fun DIY projects and a couple of yummy recipes. 

 

These are kind of cute and would look good in just about any kitchen. First is a small vintage ironstone pitcher that I had converted into a lamp. This is a moderately easy project, but for this particular look, I had my local lamp shop to the electrical stuff for me. 

 

The second project is a whimsical rack made by securing for Fiestaware cups & saucers to a distressed wooden board. Little “S” hooks transform this into a utensil holder and a decorative statement. 

 

Next is my favorite project... book ends made from two vintage rolling pins. Isn't this a fun way to display your cookbooks? 

 

In need for a knife block? No worries. Just grab a few chunky vintage cookbooks and secure them with a fun belt. This one was raided from my hubby’s closet! 

How about a new coleslaw recipe that includes apples, bacon & sliced almonds? These three additional flavors add extra crunch to an already favorite classic. 

And this one is super yummy! Home-made sheet pan mac & cheese with a nice crispy topping.  

 

You can find all the details for these projects and recipes, plus tons of beautiful kitchen décor ideas and more in this latest CSFS Kitchen issue. Here's a link to the Kindle edition, and check out all the details here at Country Sampler Farmhouse Style. 

 

ciao! fabiana 

 

 

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