Avocado and Strawberry Salad

It was too hot to cook the other night, so I rooted around in the fridge. Strawberries and butter lettuce from Finley Farm, avocado from Jorge --  that's the making of a great hot-weather supper.

I used equal quantities of oil and vinegar because I wanted a tart dressing to off-set the incredibly sweet berries. The goat cheese toasts mellowed the tartness and gave a rich earthiness that matched well with the toasted almonds.

Best of all, it went together in a flash

Avocado and Strawberry Salad
lettuce for 2 people
1 ripe avocado
1 cup strawberries
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup almonds
2 oz goat cheese
crushed peppercorns
6 slices baguette


Wash the lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. Peel and dice avocado. Remove the stem from the strawberries and halve them. Toss lettuce, avocado and strawberries together.

Toast the almonds in a dry frypan on the stove. When they smell toasted, remove from heat and chop coarsely.

Lightly toast the baguette slices in the toaster oven or under the broiler. Turn the slices over. Cut the goat cheese into 6 and pat it into rounds. Roll the edges of the rounds into the crushed peppercorns (this is messy, but worth it.) Put the goat cheese on the baguettes and warm in the toaster oven.

Combine the oil and vinegar. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss with the salad.

Arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle the almonds over top, and arrange the goat cheese toasts around the edges.

Serves 2