You know those favorite recipes that you remember fondly but haven’t made in many moons? One of those dishes that people asked you to write down the recipe for them? One that was a hit at any pot luck at which it appeared? A recipe that was pre-internet and pre-blog? A recipe that you now cannot locate?
What a conundrum.
When The Lawyer’s Cookbook announced the July feature for Food ‘n Flix was Popeye, I knew exactly what salad I would make. It would be the aforementioned fondly-remembered salad that contained strawberries, spinach, pecans and a lovely maple-balsamic dressing. I spent one whole Sunday morning searching through all my Junior League cookbooks. I knew it was in one of them. It was a hardback one I was sure. I went through them all twice to no avail. (I have about twenty JL cookbooks.) I even resorted to an internet search. Nothing.
One more attempt at locating this recipe and I happened to stop on a vinegar stained page. I had found it! It was not as I remembered. I had found my old much-loved recipe except it was a “Cranberry Cashew Green Salad.” What? No spinach or strawberries in sight.
I decided to obviously change up the recipe and use spinach in honor of Popeye. Luckily, the salad did contain frozen peas (for Swee’pea) and olive oil (obviously for Popeye’s love). And, I will reply “Yes” to the Commodore: I am making a salad!
Spinach Salad with Sweet Peas, Strawberries, and Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Inspired by Cranberry Cashew Green Salad from A Thyme To Remember (80th Anniversary Special Edition by the Dallas County Medical Society Alliance4 c. baby spinach
3 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
3 green onions, chopped (including green tops)
1/2 c. frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 c. candied pecans
1/4 c. Maple-Balsamic vinaigrette (See recipe below.)Toss the spinach, bacon, strawberries, green onions and peas in a large bowl. Arrange blue cheese and candied pecans on top Drizzle on dressing. Present salad and toss before serving.
Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/8 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. minced shallots
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1/8 t. garlic powderCombine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until thoroughly blended. Any leftover vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks.
This recipe makes two large entree salads or four side salads.
Did you notice that the recipe I finally found was not even in a JL cookbook?
As for the film, Popeye tells the tale of the town of Sweethaven, a down-on-its-luck seaside shanty town ruled by the mysteriously absent Commodore (and the brutish Bluto). Popeye arrives and finds himself an adoptive father to a baby, falls in love with a tall disagreeable drink of water, is reunited with his ol’ pappy, and helps the town liberate itself.
I enjoyed seeing the late Robin Williams again in his comedic glory (albeit with a George Hamilton spray tan). I kept reminding myself it was a 1980 film. The costumes and set designs were pleasing to the eye. I guess I’m just not really a fan of live-action cartoons.
I can say that the film made me remember a fond memory of my favorite uncle. Mom used to serve us canned spinach and we detested it. (And, rightfully so, I might add.) Our Uncle Chuck taught us to eat it with, of all things, mayonnaise (and sometimes Miracle Whip) and a drizzle of vinegar. Every time he visited, we would serve up a can with dollop upon dollop of mayo. Fond memory of my favorite uncle but I don’t think my taste buds concur in remembering this as a culinary delight.
The film also made me fondly remember “Mork and Mindy,” which was at the height of popularity in 1980, the year Popeye was released. (Did anyone else own a pair of rainbow-colored suspenders?) Popeye marked Williams’ first starring feature role.
Please join Food ‘n Flix for the August feature, Hotel Transylvania 2, hosted by Coffee and Casseroles.
Besides using this delicious salad for FnF, I am also linking up to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen‘s Souper Sunday.
Link up your favorite soup, salad or sammie.
Comments & Replies
29 responses to “Spinach Salad with Sweet Peas, Strawberries, and Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette”
Great salad and what a cool tie in with the movie Popeye. Robin Williams was a comic genius and a loss to the entertainment world. This is one of his movies I never grabbed though.
Thank you. I do love this salad. The dressing is actually the key (and the blue cheese and peas). Yeah, this wasn’t the best movie ever. 🙂
A great salad with all everything I love, Debra.
Thank you. There is a lot of good stuff in this salad. The original one with lettuce, cashews, and dried cranberries is delicious as well but I will say the dressing is a bit heavy for a spring mix. I think the spinach stands up better.
Thanks for the great Robin Williams memories. I never saw the Popeye movie but did enjoy him as Mork the alien and several later roles!
Did you know that in French crepe restaurants there’s a special choice called the “Popeye” which is savory buckwheat crepes filled with spinach? And that to order it you say Pope-Eee. Fun! That’s also delicious.
Sad to say, my husband hates spinach.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love the idea of that crepe! I would love to order one and thanks for the pronunciation clue when ordering. I love spinach (just not from a can)!
Love that you went with the salad (take that, commodore)! This does sound tasty, but now I’m intrigued by that canned spinach with a dab of mayo and some vinegar. Was it eaten cold or was the spinach warmed up first? Call me crazy, but it makes me curious to try it. 😉
Warmed up of course! 🙂 I remember the mayo being all clotted like. It wasn’t pleasing to look at either. I guess I could go for a bowl again for old-time sake. 🙂
What a marvelous summer salad! I love the sound of the salad dressing—I’m a vinaigrette girl all the way. Ugh on the canned spinach—I’m not sure a dollop of mayo makes it any better 😉
Well, I will still have my childhood memories of how delicious it was. I am sure my favorite uncle had something to do with it.
This salad looks amazing and i love how you made it fit the movie. Hah to the Commodore! 😉 I am glad you found the recipe you wanted–nothing drives me crazier than not being able to find one I am looking for in all my cookbooks.
Thanks for sharing with Souper Sundays this week too! 😉
I’m glad I found the original recipe,too, although I think I might like his new one better.
Sounds like a yummy salad even if it wasn’t what you remembered. I’ve done that tons of times 🙂
I think this one might surpass the original inspirational recipe, Chris.
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]
This salad sounds fantastic! I can’t believe I’ve never paired balsamic and maple syrup before.
And Mork and Mindy… Robin. <3
Thanks, Laura. Robin was so cute in this role.
[…] next dish is Spinach Salad with Sweet Peas, Strawberries, and Maple-Balasamic Vinaigrette shared with us by Debra at Eliot’s Eats. Using inspiration from Popeye and his spinach and […]
Yes please, that salad looks so good right now.
I loved Mork and Mindy. – Kimberly (Coffee and Casseroles)
Thanks! I am looking forward to the animated feature this month, Kimberly.
Love Love Love this salad. Thanks for sharing and yes, while I did not own a pair of rainbow suspenders I did buy them for my kiddos.
My best friend and I had a pair. I remember hers were the “real” thing (read Mork branded). I had some “fake” ones that I stuck buttons all over. Thanks, Wendy.
I love this salad concept. Like you say so many versions but not the one you remember, well love the extras here like bacon 🙂 I really need to revisit hand written recipes at some point.
Bacon makes everything better!
That salad sounds yummy! I love all the ingredients.
Thanks, Vicki.
[…] The pecans are delicious and I would make them on their own anytime. (I used them to top my recently posted Spinach Salad with Sweet Peas, Strawberries, and Balsamic-Maple Vinaigrette.) […]
I LOVE spinach salads with strawberries! I will definitely be giving this one a try!
Thanks, Amy.