I am addicted to salads in the spring and summer :: estate months. Who doesn’t love bright and flavorful seasonal produce adorning a bed of fresh crisp lettuce? If you mix up your ingredients, you are sure to never get bored.Here are just a few of my favorites: lentil salad in radicchio cups; quinoa salad with feta and caramelized walnuts; apple, dried cranberry, caramelized almonds and feta salad and, of course, not to be missed from this list is this rucola salad with strawberries, radishes and macadamia nuts topped with a rich gorgonzola dressing.
When I lived in the U.S., the word “gorgonzola” for me was just a name of an Italian blue cheese. Little did I know that gorgonzola bears the name of the Italian city :: città where the product originated. Asiago is another example of a cheese named after a city, as well as Parmigiano Reggiano (what we often call parmesan cheese), an area that includes the cities of Parma and Reggio Emilia.
Gorgonzola has quite a strong taste, so if you are not a fan of this cheese you can simply add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I personally love gorgonzola as you can use it for both sweet or savory dishes. Add gorgonzola to a pear and walnut pizza, melt it down to create a gorgonzola sauce for pasta or risotto or prepare an apple and gorgonzola pie. A while back I made some very bland savory muffins :: muffin salati. Instead of throwing them out, I created a hole in the center with a small spoon, added a dollop of gorgonzola and instantly they were transformed into gourmet savory muffins with a gorgonzola-filled center.
Make the dressing :: condimento right after preparing the salad as the strawberries that are blended in the gorgonzola dressing become too sour if stored for days or overnight in the refrigerator. I also like to warm my radish slices in a splash of apple vinegar on the stove.
You may already be accustomed to buying your blue cheese salad dressings in a bottle, but living in a country where these are practically non existent, I’ve learned to make my own. I also make homemade dressings to moderate what goes inside. Who needs 10+ ingredients and preservatives with long names that you don’t know? All that is needed to make a tasty and satisfying salad dressing is just a few simple ingredients.
- Makes 4-6
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (105g) gorgonzola
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 strawberries
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces arugula (about 12 cups)
- 15 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 4 red radishes, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (38g) macadamia nuts
- In a blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, gorgonzola, extra virgin olive oil, strawberries, sat and pepper. Pour into a small serving bowl. In a large bowl, add the arugula, strawberry slices, radish slices and macadamia nuts.
- Note: Since the gorgonzola dressing has a strong flavor, I suggest serving the dressing separately from the salad so that each person can add as much flavor as he/she desires. Due to the strawberries, the gorgonzola dressing doesn’t conserve well in the refrigerator, so make the dressing right before serving the salad.
Interesting combination of flavors. Each ingredients has its own distinct taste such as arugula, red radish and gorgonzola cheese. Gorgonzola is a type of cheese that goes well with sweet fruit because it is pretty strong. Nice recipe Cindy!
Thank you, Paola! It’s another way to use Italy’s delicious gorgonzola cheese.