Linda's Raspberry Dressing, Spinach Salad and Raspberry Vinegar

My favorite cousin, Martha, asked if I would send her the recipe for my spinach salad and the dressing that I make for it. But before I do that let me tell you where this recipe for the salad came from. A number of years ago some friends that now live in the Chicago area who have 2 children and Den and I contracted an outfitter in Montana to do a 2.5 day backpack in to Glacier Natl. Park and then 2.5 days of white water rafting on the Flathead River that forms the southern boundary of Glacier Natl. Park. There is a drawing for which area in Glacier that you have a hiking permit for and we drew Atlantic Creek. I think that Dan and Cindy's kids were like 14 and 10. The daughter is the studious, reading type and the younger son is one of those kids that have a string of never ending questions and ideas. The park was the most beautiful that I have seen with it's pristine wilderness and I would recommend it hands down. I have so many great memories of this trip. The first nights camp the guide made this salad and I can't tell you what else we had so it made an impression. Maybe it was the fact that we had a salad where were at, I don't know. They used a prepared dressing and as Den ages his legume allergies are more pronounced so I have developed my own recipe for the dressing.

The dressing takes a bit longer to make so let's start with the dressing.

Linda's Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

2/3 C. frozen or fresh raspberries (I use the red raspberries)
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar (made my own raspberry vinegar this time as I have been unsuccessful in finding it in the stores of late, I will add at to the bottom of this dressing recipe)
1/4 C. honey (if you spray your measuring cup with PAM the honey comes out pretty well and you don't leave as much in the cup)
1 med. shallot, pared and coarsely chopped (if you want you can use about 3 tbsp of minced red onion)
1 Tbsp. dry mustard (don't leave this out, it really helps the flavor)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 C. Canola oil
1/4 C. walnut oil
1/4 C. EVOO
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

In a blender or food processor combine all but the oils and poppy seeds and process until smooth. Remove the center cover of the blender for the finish here. I like to use a glass 2 cup measuring cup to blend the oils. With the blender or food processor running, drizzle in the oils slowly (there is a reason that you do it this way, by doing it this way it emulsifies that whole thing and you don't have to go shaking it like crazy when you want to use it). Lastly add in the poppy seed and blend well. This dressing will store, covered in the refrigerator for quite sometime.

Raspberry Vinegar

4 C. white wine vinegar or just white vinegar
1 C. raspberries
Bring the vinegar to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the raspberries. When this has cooled enough to handle pour into a clean quart jar and cover. Allow to rest for 5-6 days. Strain through cheese cloth or a very fine sieve. If you would like the sweeten, 1/2 C of sugar added to the vinegar before boiling and stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved before adding the fruit.


Spinach Salad

This is very easy and you make as much as you will eat or your guest would. For purposes of this email let's say the entire bag of spinach.

Fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and stemmed, if you want you can cut it up a bit
1/4 C. toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (In a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Make sure that the skillet is hot and don't turn your back on this at all. Put your nut meats into the skillet and keep them moving, turning and lightly tossing to bring a lightly brown color to the nut meats. These burn very easily so keep and eye on them)
1 pt. fresh strawberries, hulled, washed and sliced
Raspberry dressing to taste.