Michelle's Famous Strawberry Basil Easter Salad

Yes, as my sister said in her previous blog, "today is Easter." We are both going to the same party and I cannot let her get away with having something better than me. I unfortunately forgot that I was supposed to bring something and was enjoying spending the day at Crema sipping my cappuccino and reading when my sis called and asked what I was bringing. I quickly said it was a surprise and that I was sure that it was going to be better than what she was bringing. I then chugged the last of my cappuccino and went running to Wild Oats. Unfortunately I couldn't remember if I had already agreed to bring something, so I made a quick call to Tata(hostess) to check. She said I didn't respond, so I asked if she needed anything. Right when the words flew out of my mouth, I had a sense of dread... I knew it would be jello or fruit salad, because I hate jello and what can you do exceptional to trump your sister with a fruit salad. Of course Tata said she needed fruit.

I looked around for something seasonal and of course it just isn't the right time, so I gave up on seasonal. I then saw some beautiful strawberries and blackberries, so I grabbed them and then thought what do I love with strawberries... then it occurred to me that one of my new favorite drinks is a basil and strawberry martini. I grabbed the basil, paid, and ran out of the store. Unlike my sister I rarely cook from a cookbook (unless I need one of my Mom's Greek or bread recipes), so I goggled strawberry and basil salad. Everything looked to time intensive, because I only had about 20 minutes and didn't have time to make a reduction, blah, blah, blah. I did see that quite a few used balsamic, so I slammed the computer shut and decided I would create my own.

Ingredients for Michelle's Strawberry, Blackberry, And Basil Salad That Is So Much More Creative Than Potatoes Au Gratin:
- 1 1/2 pounds of fresh strawberries quartered
- 1/2 cup of blackberries halved
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of balsamic vinaigrette
- 8 basil leaves finely chopped

I combined the strawberries into a bowl and added the sugar and balsamic vinegar. I then tossed them gently and added half of the basil. Then place the remaining basil on top for a great color contrast. It is delicious and takes only 5 minutes and makes you seem incredibly creative.

I am sure it will be the clear winner at the Easter Dinner!!

-M