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Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

April 23, 2022 by rogalsgirl Leave a Comment

On Wednesday morning, I decided to take the kids for a morning walk after a particularly chaotic bit of breakfast. We all needed the fresh air and the sun was finally making an appearance after a few days of inevitable April rain showers. As we made our way onto the porch, Amelia spied a few tulip bulbs finally popping up out of our little flower garden. We all crowded around the garden in a delicate mixture of relief and gratitude. For us it means that spring is finally here. While fall is my favorite season, spring certainly gets my creativity and productivity juices flowing. Warm weather in Maine is notoriously short-lived, so there is always this feeling of urgency to always make the most of the daylight, the warmth and the fresh produce when it finally makes it’s appearance! Strawberries aren’t growing yet but are finally on the horizon, so I was inspired to make this strawberry and goat cheese salad during dinner.

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

The kids were a bit hesitant at the mention of a “strawberry and goat cheese salad”. Strawberries? In a salad? Amelia, who is almost always my salad helper, jumped at the opportunity to at least make them look beautiful, sprinkling and placing things just so. Outside of this salad looking beautiful, though, strawberry, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar are a deliciously combination. In the summer it’s perfectly light, seasonal and a good blend of sweet and savory. I like to add pistachios, as you’ll see in the recipe below, but candied walnuts are equally amazing. If you’re looking for a fun and creative summer salad, you’ll probably love this.

 

Ingredients Needed

This salad is both very flexible and simple to make. In the summer months I like to try to keep a bag or box of fresh baby spinach handy because it’s in season and I try to eat it a lot. I’ve added a few other things you can use for this salad if you have on hand that you want to use, or if you want to substitute the cucumbers for something else. For this salad, you’ll need:

Fresh baby spinach
Goat cheese
Cucumbers
Fresh strawberries
Pistachios, candied walnuts, or pecans (optional)
Any additional spring/summer vegetables you prefer- Things that pair nicely are asparagus, peas, bell peppers, avocados, basil or mint

And for dressing the salad you’ll need:
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil (a good quality one preferably)
Dijon Mustard
Sea salt
Dried herbs, such as oregano or tarragon (optional)

 

strawberry and goat cheese salad

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

This salad is one of my favorites during the spring and summer months!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 People

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 1 Small box (5 oz) Fresh baby spinach
  • 1 lb Strawberries, de-stemmed and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 Cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 Oz Chevre/Goat cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
  • Sea Salt (to taste)

For the Balsamic Dressing

  • 1/2 Cup Olive oil
  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tsp Honey or maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Tarragon, Basil, or Parsley

Instructions
 

Make the balsamic dressing

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the vinegar and dried herbs of choice. Allow them to sit for about 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the oil, mustard and honey or maple syrup and whisk until it comes together and the oil and vinegar don't look "separated". Set aside until you're ready to use, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for later use.

Assemble the Salad

  • Put all of the spinach in a large bowl.
  • Evenly sprinkle the strawberries, cucumber slices and pistachios on top of the spinach.
  • Dollop the goat cheese onto the salad using a spoon, in about teaspoon sized portions.
  • Pour about 3-5 tablespoons of balsamic dressing on top of the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
  • Serve evenly onto plates and sprinkle with sea salt just before serving.
Keyword chevre, strawberries

Filed Under: Featured, Recipes, Salads

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Amber Rogals with daughter

Downeats is a journal that shares food stories and recipes, and photography. It is devoted to home cooking, gathering with loved ones, living slow and imperfectly. The name Downeats is a foodie play on the Downeast region of the coast of Maine- so everything is New England inspired.

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amberrogals

Are you team pasta salad or team potato salad??
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I grew up on my Opa’s German potato salad, which was incredibly delicious every single summer and has certainly made me team potato salad. Since my mid 20s I’ve played around with a lot of different versions of potato salad (there are sooo many) but the past few years have found myself pretty loyal to this veggie one. The kids love it, too, so… bonus. 
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Now that warm weather is finally here, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket. The fresh herbs are really key, don’t be afraid to go heavy on them! Here’s the recipe:
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3 Lbs Red Potatoes, chopped into one inch cubes
4-5 Pickle spears, diced
2-3 Stalks Celery, diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
2-3 Carrots, grated and then chopped
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Large Handful Fresh Dill
1 Large Handful Fresh Parsley
Salt + Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
 
Blanch the potatoes by boiling them about 7-10 minutes (until just tender, but don't overcook them so they fall apart) and immediately rinse with cold water or plunge into a pot of cold water after straining. Set them back in the strainer to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the additional vegetables as listed above. Most of these vegetables are diced. For the carrots, grate them with a cheese grater or food processor, and then roughly chop into smaller pieces.
Chop the fresh dill and parsley, and set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled to at least room temperature, combine all of vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix well to coat everything lightly with mayo.
Add salt and pepper to taste (I start with approximately 2-3 tsp salt, and several good shakes of pepper)
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Enjoy! It’s soooo good.

#potatosalad #potatosaladrecipe #potatoes #recipes #recipeshare #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatyourveggies #summervibes #summerfood #summerrecipes #saladideas #slowliving #slowlivingforlife #foodphotography #foodstyling #maine #newengland #thewaylifeshouldbe #eatmaine #momlife #momchef
Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that w Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that would post a cake recipe on Sunday called Sunday’s Cake. I always loved it because I love weekend baking with the kids. Plus you have a yummy cake to enjoy throughout the week (though let's be real, with now 6 of us the cake lasts more like one day, ha)
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On June 1st, I'm finally getting my weekly newsletter off the ground and out into the world: The Slow Living Supper Club. I’ll be sharing seasonally inspired family recipes, thoughts on motherhood, slow living lifestyle tips, and of course, a cake recipe every weekend. A few recipes to come:
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-Maine Blueberry shortcake
-Raspberry Spoon Cake
-Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake
-Black Cherry Clafoutis
-Summer Fruit Cake
-Spiced Banana Cake (pictured)
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And lots more! Interested in joining the Slow Living Supper Club? The link to join is in my bio!

#foodie #maine #downeast #eatmaine #newengland #cake #slowliving #supperclub #newsletter #communityfirst #midcoastmaine #thewaylifeshouldbe #foodblogger #foodporn #foodphotography #foodstyling #foodstagram #instafood #f52community #eatcaptureshare #yum #bananacake
Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all the moms:
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You are amazing. You are needed. You are appreciated. You are loved. I see you out there killing it- even on the days it feels like you're not. Motherhood is difficult! I'll be the first to admit the mistakes I've made on this journey. Silly mistakes, bad mistakes, embarrassing mistakes, funny mistakes... and some painful mistakes. But motherhood IS a journey, and there is no way to venture through it and get everything right on your first try (or second, or third...!)
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If you're a mom you probably know how easy it is to slip into feelings of inadequacy, overwhelm, and exhaustion- mental or otherwise. It can linger for days, weeks, or longer. While these feelings don't creep up on me as often as they used to, one thing I started telling myself years ago is that the perfect mother doesn't exist. We are human; we all have flaws. We have unpleasant normalities. We get tired, we get hungry, moody, annoyed, self-conscious.... We don't always say the right things.
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What would it take for you to give yourself a little more grace? What would it take to focus on how far you've come, instead of the times you didn't have it all together? We HAVE to give ourselves (and each other) grace as mothers, because it's the only way to truly move forward. I am not a perfect mother and I will NEVER claim to be (so far from it, ahaha). But I am a great mother for my children, and I'm certain that you are a great one for yours. ❤️
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Happy Mothers Day 🌹
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#mothersday #happymothersday #momlife #momblogger #wahm #momboss #momgoals #parenthood
Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! 
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A bit of raw honesty- these past few winters have been really hard on me. They’re dark, frigid, dormant and the isolation makes me depressed. Mostly this comes out in the form of extreme fatigue, creative blocks, and self sabotage.
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Mental health is something that I’m still learning to prioritize- it’s a practice. As a mom I have found it especially hard to prioritize, but on the flip side, all the more important. Right now, my mental health practice looks like this:
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-Exercise 5x per week. I mix it up with long walks and yoga.
-Meditation. Not daily, but a few times per week.
-Water!! I drink water daily, and rotate through essences by @freedomfloweressence which I’m basically obsessed with. Call it woo woo if you want, but it has worked wonders for me. I’m taking their Confidence one currently!
-Talking with a therapist once a month (highly recommend @elizabeth.ritual if you’re looking!)
-Daily journal. This is the biggest and most impactful for my healing and wellness journey. Writing has always been my internal process, and it has done wonders for my mental health.
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I know how easy it is to not prioritize mental health or even not take it seriously, but in my experience it truly can take a toll on physical health, relationships, life goals, etc. Do you prioritize mental health? Share one of your non-negotiables 👇👇
I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after spending 2021 building my skills as a food photographer. Downeats is a play on the word “Downeast”- a way to pay homage to Maine which has shaped the majority of my experience with food. I wanted to work with amazing food brands doing food and lifestyle photography and styling, and build an online blog/community that provided people with simple, beautiful and seasonally inspired recipes.
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In January 2022, when I started Downeats, I wrote down local businesses that I would be absolutely thrilled to work with. Back then I was way to intimidated to reach out and “pitch” to them, but they were on my list and I eyed them from afar…. Mostly just dreaming. A few of them were:
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@MainePieCo
@ChoomiNaturals
@EdibleMaine
@MaineCrisp
@GneissSpice
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Now, a year later, I have worked with all of them on the list- and it’s been truly amazing. Some days it feels surreal to be working with such wonderful people who have also built their brands from the ground up. It’s surreal to have people value my work, my opinion, and my perspective. Pictured here is my second published piece for @EdibleMaine
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If you are visualizing something for yourself please know that it CAN happen if you make it happen. Sometimes the things we dream of feel so close yet so far. We wonder how can we get from here to there? So much of what holds us back from the life we envision is fear- but what does it look like to face those fears? Scary, uncomfortable, awkward? YES. It is. I’ve done it. But what about after that? After the discomfort fades away? You might be left with opportunity, potential, and a newly forged path forward.
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#dreambig #maine #foodphotography #toast #lox #foodie #maineeats #eatmaine #seafood #newengland #ediblemagazine #foodstyling #foodphotographer #gutsoverfear #nofear #liveyourdreams
Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy p Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy place ✨😍 

#springroll #springrolls #freshspringrolls #eatyourveggies #eattherainbow #veggielover #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #slowliving #foodie #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatcaptureshare #foodstagram #fresh
This weekend I hope you can: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This weekend I hope you can:
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-Embrace rest
-Practice yoga
-Catch up on some reading
-Bake a cake
-Call a loved one
-Get outside

I will be attempting all of the above.
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Happy weekend 💕
Favorite breakfast, basically. #breakfastideas #m Favorite breakfast, basically.

#breakfastideas #morning #breakfast #foodphotography #foodstyling #ricebowl #foodie #f52community #f52grams #delicious #nomnom #slowliving #foodstylist

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