the cusp of spring: arugula, strawberry, & feta salad with lemon poppyseed dressing

I am one of those people who likes fruit in their food.

I prefer my chicken salad studded with with little purple grape jewels.   I’ll order tart and bright slices of green granny smiths to be nestled between the ham in my ham’n’cheese sandwiches.   I’m keen on thin ribbons of salty prosciutto, gift-wrapping fat slices of fragrant and ripe melon as antipasti.   I look forward to the crisp matchsticks of green papaya that come nestled in my banh-mi sandwiches almost (almost) as much as the creamy pork pate filling. And – much to the chagrin of the fi-ahn-say – I’ll take pineapples over pepperoni on my pizza any day.

Yep….pineapple and mushroom pizza is my jam!

So many different everyday fruits can weasel their way into savory preparations with ease and grace, but at first glance the strawberry just doesn’t seem to have a natural savory-plate-playmate.   But why not?  They are sweet and juicy and have just the right amount of slight-tart bite.   I love those little scarlet hearts, and a fresh summer salad sounded like the perfect medium to incorporate them seamlessly into a non-dessert dish.   I tossed the ripe berries over a bed of peppery arugula dusted with fresh salty feta, added some warm and nutty toasted almonds, and drizzled the lot with a sweet/tart lemon poppy seed dressing that is nothing less than to die for.