Easy Summer Salads: Berkshire Blue Cheese Salad

One of my favorite restaurants is The Publick House in Sturbridge, MA. The Publick House is a traditional New England restaurant and serves a number of great dishes. Some time ago I ate there and had their Berkshire Blue Cheese Salad (which, sadly, no longer appears to be on the menu). One day I was craving this tasty salad and decided to try to recreate it. It's best when strawberries are in season, though it seems you can get them year-round these days so finding tasty berries should not be a problem. The tanginess of the blue cheese almost accentuates the strawberries' sweet flavor, and the walnuts bring it all together.

The salad I ate at the restaurant used field greens and toasted pecans. I did not have those ingredients on-hand, so I used substitutions that I think work just as well.

Berkshire Blue Cheese Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 red onion, cut into very thin slices

1 cup of sliced strawberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Balsamic vinegrette

salt, pepper to taste

Layer ingredients in a bowl or on a plate. Add salt and/or pepper if desired. Drizzle with balsamic vinegrette.

This pairs really well with steak, or is a delicious light lunch all on its own.