Hello and welcome! This salad, which segues into summer for sure, came about because of Amazon Fresh. You might remember that we have started having our groceries delivered by Amazon, and, for the most part, things are great. But, when I use my iPad or iPhone to order, I tend to accidentally order extras (this is, by definition, a first world problem, but bear with me). So, I once spent $60 on three Costco-sized boxes of roasted seaweed that we're still making our way through, and I've inadvertently ordered three 4-packs of avocados - yeah, that's 12 avocados. No, we didn't make our way through them, despite valiant efforts on all our parts.

Last week, this little slip of the thumb (I guess that's what's causing it) resulted in four boxes of blackberries. I love blackberries, but that's a lot. When, serendipitously, I then spotted this blackberry salad on Pinterest, inspiration struck. Though the inspiration salad looks great, it also looks very, very sweet, and even more summery than this version. So I thought about what sounded good to me, added in some savory with pistachios and a less-sweet dressing, and threw in some avocado - because avocado makes everything better, and I had plenty to spare. The result: a delightful salad I've been making for days.

I love all the component parts to this, so I was biased from the outset, but the different parts play really well together. Spicy arugula, salty feta and pistachios, sweet blackberries and apples and creamy avocado. The textures all mesh really well together, too. It's nice to have a little variation on the ole' salad routine. Hope you enjoy!

Blackberry, Pistachio & Feta Salad

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

10 oz arugula
1/2 small onion, finely diced, or 6 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pistachios
1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup feta
1 small crisp apple, such as Fuji, diced

Dressing Ingredients

3 tablespoons raspberry jam or jelly (or blackberry)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard OR, preferably, Trader Joe's Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce

Directions

1. In bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. I really recommend the garlic aioli because it adds a little depth to the dressing, but if using Dijon, taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper to your preference.

2. Toss dressing gently with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately. Enjoy!