Foodsday Tuesday: Spring Greens

Something about the return of warm weather has me craving a lot of salad. But rather than spend seven dollars on a SaladWorks salad, I like to spend the same amount of money on an array of ingredients that will yield several different salad combinations before I run out of greens. I also like to get creative with my dressing choices. There are a lot of great store-bought ones out there, but this salad uses one I like to make all myself.

BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH APPLES, GOAT CHEESE, AND CITRUS VINIAGRETTE
For the dressing:
Equal parts olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and orange juice
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

For the salad:
Baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
Medium-hard goat cheese
A medium-sweet, hard-fleshed apple (like a Macintosh)
Dried (not freeze-dried) cranberries or strawberries (optional)
Pita chips (crumbled to use in place of croutons) (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in a container with a lid, then shake and refrigerate at least twenty minutes so flavors combine.

Core apple and cut into thin wedges. Arrange wedges on top of individual salad plates with spinach. Top with goat cheese crumbles, then sprinkle with dried berries and pita chips as desired. Shortly before serving, remove dressing from refrigerator and shake. Drizzle over each salad plate and serve immediately.

Tip: if you keep olive-oil-based salad dressings in the refrigerator more than a few hours, the oil may begin to congeal and harden. Don't throw the dressing out! (Unless it's been in your fridge for months, that is.) Instead, microwave the dressing for five or ten seconds, then shake to recombine.

Image credit: Willie Green's Organic Farm.