Strawberry-Jalapeno Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Clover and The Bee restaurant serves this delightful Strawberry, Feta, Fennel, Pecan, Arugula Salad with white balsamic vinaigrette. Sorry, I ate the strawberries before I took the photo!

Too many restaurant salads are uninterestingly dressed. But occasionally you poke a fork into the arugula and your taste buds rear up and take notice. That happened when I lunched recently at The Clover and the Bee in Webster Groves. I checked the menu and found that my salad was attired in a strawberry-jalapeno white balsamic vinaigrette. My, my!

Google to the Rescue

When I search for a recipe, I often google the ingredients. This time several possibilities came up. To my surprise, one of them called for strawberry-jalapeno jam! Hmm. . . I was expecting to deal with a live jalapeno. But, okay. The flavored jam would make the recipe easier.

Hmm. . . How Now?

Now where to get the exotic jam. I checked several stores before reverting to Google again, where I learned that the speciality jam was made by Smucker and sold at Target. I headed out to the Promenade shopping center on Brentwood and grabbed the last jar on the shelf. It was marked down to $2. This dressing was sounding better all the time.

Oil should be added to dressings slowly or shaken vigorously in a jar. This helps emulsify the ingredients, that is, combine two liquids (oil and vinegar) that don’t want to go together. Mustard is an emulsifier, which is why it’s often included in homemade dressings.

Strawberry-Arugula Salad

with Strawberry-Jalapeno Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

5-6 oz mixed greens
½ cup feta cheese
½ cup toasted pecans
2 cups strawberries

1/3 cup strawberry-jalapeno or strawberry jam
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

Place greens, feta, pecans, and strawberries in large salad bowl.
In a small bowl, or measuring cup, whisk together jam, mustard, and vinegar.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil while constantly whisking.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add dressing to salad and gently toss with tongs until greens are coated.
Serve immediately. If you’re planning to have leftovers, dress only the amount of salad you need.