Berry Season is almost here!
I have a wonderful recipe for a simple salad dressing. My daughter Rose got it from her former employer Carl at Cassano’s Italian Grocery, at the corner of Mission & Napa in Spokane. The business is situated in an officially recognized historical building; it used to be Piccolo’s Italian Grocery, and before that, it housed several businesses. It feels good to me when I go there, and I’m not a “city person”.
Rose served the dressing on a crisp salad of romaine, sliced Granny Smith apples, and pomegranate seeds…luscious! Then there was the slow-cooked spaghetti gravy and pasta, and the garlic bread…mmm…
Mash together:
1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen would probably work)
2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste), pinch of salt
Add:
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar, which is basically just sweetened (could use plain rice vinegar and just add a bit more sugar to taste)
1/4 cup mild flavored oil, such as sunflower
Stir together and steep at least 1 hour. Toss with fresh romaine, apples, strawberries, or your choice of fruit. (Avocado is good too.)
Cassano’s is a wonderful place to visit, and offers a nice variety of imported Italian groceries including olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pasta of course, but there’s also a deli (I’m telling you, real mortadella is a sublime treat), a cafe for the regulars (it’s a good thing I live so far away, I would become a pest there), and the Mission Bistro, where the word on the street is go for the stromboli … You can even find them on Facebook at Friends of Cassano’s.
Did I mention that I wasn’t the only grandma at dinner that nite, oh no. That was just a prelude to the third showing of the play OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, of course, put on by East Valley High School. Tonite’s the final showing, followed by a cast party. Whoaaa Bessie!
So, thanks for the recipe, Carl.
p.s. the photo is from Raspberries.us/
