Grapefruit & Strawberry Salad with Honey Poppyseed Dressing

I hope my fellow Canadians enjoyed a fabulous Victoria Day weekend (or as it's more commonly called "May 2-4"). Around here we had pretty perfect weather. A bit of rain each day followed by 23C+ sunny weather which was perfect for making my new, BIG flower garden in the backyard. It felt even bigger when you consider that Brad and I ripped up the grass, picked out an inordinate amount of rocks, tilled the soil and planted a tonne of plants all in 3 days. We ... were ... pooped! But it's going to look oh so pretty once my plants start perkin' up and blooming.

It's weekends like this that I know that summer is finally coming! The weather is gorgeous, the flowers are bloomin' .... and I have my yearly hankerin' for a cold MGD (that's a Molson Genuine Draft beer for you non-Canucks!). Normally I am so NOT a beer drinker (I prefer a nice glass of vino) but, after 4 hours of gardening in the sun, I actually drank an entire beer .... while it was cold! Yes, summer is here people! I didn't leave any nasty warm beer in the bottle. Let the summer festivities commence!

I started off my gardening extravaganza on Saturday wearing delightful green gardening gloves in case I got dirt under my nails or came across any nasty bugs which may (ok, will) make me scream like a little girl. By the end of the three days there I was in the rain, on my knees in the dirt, sans gloves dividing and planting my beloved perennials. Gardening isn't glamourous but I do find it fulfilling!

We didn't spend all our weekend up to our armpits in dirt and worms. We had movies and games with the kids and managed to drive out to my parents' cottage (a mere 15 minutes away -- we're totally spoiled) and enjoyed a boat ride and BBQ on the deck. Delightful!

As this deliciously warm summer weather seems to be staying I get in my 'gotta find new salad recipes' thang. I love fresh salads in the summer to go along with all the beasties we cook up on the BBQ. I have found another salad that I love!

A couple of weeks ago one of my besties came for a visit and offered to bring a homemade salad for our lunch. I am never one to pass up a free lunch so I whole-heartedly agreed! Along she came with a delightfully sweet salad topped with fruit. I loves me a green salad with fruit!! It was a lovely, refreshing salad that was perfect for the sunny day that we had.

Since then I've made this salad for my own personal lunch three times. Along with some homemade herb bread it is a perfect lunch! What I love is that you can tweak this salad and add ingredients according to your own personal tastes. I like to add sunflower seeds and marble cheese cubes to my salads (feta would be great too!).

I personally don't use poppyseeds in my dressing because they are always attracted to the spaces in between my teeth which then make me very self conscious that they'll pop up (even after brushing) at a most inopportune time. Nothing like giving someone a million dollar smile ... with poppyseeds scattered in your mouth. Nice. If you don't have this irrational fear of the mighty poppyseed then, by all means, add them in!

If you're in the mood for a salad with the lovely sour taste of grapefruit paired with the sweetness of strawberries and honey dressing then this is it! This is a great, easy and impressive salad for summer!

Grapefruit & Strawberry Salad with Honey Poppyseed Dressing
1 head Romaine lettuce - chopped
1 ruby red grapefruit - sectioned (see How-To video here)
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1 cup strawberries, hulled & sliced
2/3 cup marble cheese - cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, shelled

Honey Poppyseed Dressing
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup extra light olive oil OR grapeseed oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard (or mustard of your choice)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

Place all dressing ingredients in a sealed container and shake until contents are evenly combined.