Salad......Seriously

I love the salad. I could eat salad as a main course. A lot. What's not to love about a bowl full of greens and veggies....with a generous amount of dressing?

One of my favorite parts of the "before" part of the meal while eating out or at my almost mother-in-law's house is the salad. It just makes me happy. And not only are there about 5 gazillion types of salad, but they are great with just about any kind of entree. Pizza and salad, soup and salad, pasta and salad, sandwiches and salad, like I said...it makes me happy.
What I love about this particular salad is the dressing. Oh my stars, it's dreamy! The balsamic vinegar with basil and garlic just knocks it out of the ballpark. I'm tellin ya, you gotta try this!!

Who knew making your own dressing could be this fun or only take a few minutes? If you've never made your own dressing, this is a great one to start with.

Balsamic Basil Dressing
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup roasted garlic
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, combine the basil, garlic, cheese and vinegar. Slowly blend in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*The salad pictured was made using Wild Harvest Organic spring greens, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese, and large black olives.