by Sous Chef Marie Maciag

Madison Bistro

It’s strawberry season, and no conventionally-grown, store-bought strawberry can in any way compare to those berries coming fresh from a local farm. In this salad, the sweetness of the strawberries and candied nuts balances with the creamy sourness of the blue cheese and acidity of the balsamic dressing to create that harmonious flavor called umami.

We’re a farm-to-table restaurant and the berries, the greens and the cheese are all from our regional partners — this makes a huge difference. The fresher your ingredients, the better your salad will be!

This is salad for one but can be scaled up to share:

Ingredients

Fresh field greens 4oz (handful)

Ripe strawberries 2-4 sliced

Bleu cheese 2oz crumbled

Candied pecans*

Balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

To make the candied pecans

Butter 1 tbs

Brown sugar 1 tbs

Pecans small handful, chopped or whole, as you prefer

Place equal portions butter and sugar in a skillet on low heat and melt through. Add pecans. Stir constantly until well-coated and toasty. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Toss greens, fruit, candied nuts and cheese in your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, and enjoy.