Arugula & Mango Salad

So here it is, recipe #1! 

I find that in the summer months I crave the crisp, fresh flavor of arugula. Something about it just seems so...clean. I also find it's an excellent foundation to build a salad as you can play on of the many characteristics of this green. My preference is usually baby arugula, but often that's because I can buy an organic, pre-washed package and get dinner on the table that much quicker (every little step counts, right?).

This week, as the temperatures in New England finally started to rise, my palate was screaming for tropical fruits. Perhaps it was our recent return from St. Maarten that had me craving sweet and juicy mango, but it may have just been the gorgeous display at Whole Foods. Either way, I knew I wanted a salad that would have a nice balance of fresh & fruity and that's exactly what we got.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following:

• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 medium mango, sliced into chunks
• 1/3 cup dried cherries (I use the Whole Foods brand that contains no sugar)
• 1/4 cup crushed pecans
• 2 oz  bucheron cheese (this is a goat's milk, soft cheese found at most markets)

I tossed the salad with the following (extremely simple) dressing:

• 2 Tbsp fig infused balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

The salad was delish! It was a perfect balance of crunch, sweet and salty. I served this with a rack of lamb and fresh bread to balance out the meal, however it easily could have stood on its own. The fig balsamic balanced out the mango and cherries. I highly recommend investing in flavored vinegars for a low fat dressing option. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!