Very Berry Winter Salad

As January shares what it has to offer, we often find ourselves in a landscape of white and grey in Wisconsin. Fortunately, our tables do not have to take part in this sepia situation. This time around, a splash of color finds your table with tender berries that have popped up in our grocery stores in anticipation of Valentine's Day. They are paired with dried cranberries, nuts and seeds, and a combination of tender greens that are likely available even in the winter cold. After all, we need some freshness and color too!

You can tweak this recipe to feature fruits and greens that are more readily available where you are. I try to stick with berries. Blueberries and pomegranate are nice options. Sometimes a different lettuce might be necessary, but spinach is pretty easy to acquire year round. If you want, swap the pepitas for sunflower seeds and the candied pecans for almost any kind of nut, candied or not. It's all delicious.

If you add chicken or pork to the salad to make it a main dish option, you might want to have a cup of soup alongside to chase any chill away. Another nice option is a slice of quiche, which would nicely put this entire meal in brunch territory as well. How nice to have such flexibility, color, texture, and flavor on the table on a cold winter's day. Enjoy!