April’s “Magic of the Month” features Seven Summer Salads.  It’s not too early to start thinking about summer entertaining.  Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived we are all anxious to spend time outdoors.

1. Blueberry Bibb Salad

On a stack of  bibb lettuce leaves, sprinkle with fresh blueberries and walnuts.  Drizzle the plate with homemade blueberry viniagrette.  Simple but tasty.

Blueberry Vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup olive oil (or any oil you prefer)

1/4 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until blended. 

2. Mandarin Orange Salad

Another summer classic. Choose your favorite greens (we used a blend of red leaf and romaine) and add canned Mandarin oranges (rinse and drain them first), green onions, sugared, slivered almonds, real pieces of bacon and toss with the special oil and vinegar dressing.

Mandarin Dressing:

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Dash pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix with salad immediately before serving.

3. Poppyseed Chicken Salad

This salad is always a huge hit at luncheon parties.  Romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuce is topped with shredded chicken, green onions and chow mein noodles.  When mixed with our special poppyseed dressing, it’s a true winner.

Poppyseed Dressing:

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons red onion juice

3 cups oil

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Combine sugar, mustard, vinegar and onion juice.  Gradually add oil and beat until smooth.  Add poppy seeds and blend well.  Chill, covered, in refrigerator and toss with salad immediately before serving.

4. Raspberry Salad

Spring mix, fresh raspberries, chopped pecans and a wonderful raspberry viniagrette make this an unmistakably summer fare.

Raspberry Dressing:

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Sesame Seed Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/4 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix all ingredients together and toss with salad immediately before serving.

6. Ranch Wedge Salad

Change up the traditional wedge salad.  The iceberg wedge is dressed with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and sprinkled with chopped bacon.  Instead of bleu cheese dressing (which a lot of people don’t care for) we used ranch dressing.  Delicious combination!

7. Chopped Layered Salad

This is salad with a twist.  Presenting this chopped salad in glass jars not only gives them the “summer picnic” feel but also makes them individual servings. Select your favorite salad ingredients, chop and layer as desired. Garnish them with a straw made out of a celery stick and carrot peel.  When salad is ready to be served, your guests can simply dump the contents of the jar on a plate, cover with their favorite dressing and eat. Fun!