Recipe - Cantaloupe Blueberry Salad With Creamy Yogurt Dressing

If you're looking for a tasty and light sweet summer fruit salad, this one is easy and delicious. Mild, sweet and juicy cantaloupe gets a pop of citrus flavor, and sets off the darker tangyness of ripe blueberries, combined in a light creamy yogurt dressing - a match made in heaven if there ever was one! (A big bowl of this without the lettuce also makes a great breakfast!)

Creamy Dressed Cantaloupe Blueberry Salad
(Makes 8 small salads.)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) container vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp orange zest
1 medium size cantaloupe, cleaned and sliced into crescent shapes
24 Boston lettuce leaves
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, poppy seeds, and orange zest in a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy; cover and put in refrigerator to chill.
2. Divide the lettuce leaves between 8 chilled salad plates, then top with the sliced cantaloupe, arranging evenly between plates.
3. Spoon 1/4 cup of the blueberries over each salad, then drizzle the yogurt dressing over each salad and serve immediately.

Picnic Recipe - Easy Creamy Horseradish Coleslaw

This tasty slaw puts a modern flavor twist on an old picnic favorite! Horseradish and lemon juice add a special tangy to the creamy dressing, and it's easy to modify it to your tastes. Substitute honey or stevia for the sugar if desired.

Easy Creamy Horseradish Coleslaw
(Serves 8-12.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

10 cups shredded cabbage (mix green and red if desired)
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including tops
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar (if desired)
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

• In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, and green onions.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, horseradish, and lemon juice.  Adjust seasonings to taste, then pour over coleslaw mixture and toss to combine.
• Chill and serve cold. 

Recipe - Tarragon Dressed Baby Spinach Salad

If you're looking for a tasty spinach recipe to use up some of that fresh spinach that's currently taking over your garden, here's a good one to add to your repertoire. A twist on the classic "Spinach & Bacon Salad," this one offers the aromatic sweetness of tarragon, combined with the tang of lemon juice and mustard. This one will also get rave reviews at your next potluck!

Tarragon Dressed Baby Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

8 to 10 cups fresh baby spinach
8 strips bacon, diced and fried crisp, drained
2 eggs, hard cooked, and chopped
4 green onions, chopped, including the tops
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1 Tbsp tarragon vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp honey
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Put spinach in salad bowl, top with bacon, egg crumbles, and green onions.
2. In separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour over salad and serve immediately.
4. Add more salt and pepper if desired.