A salad in contrast: You might think these ingredients would clash, but a sublime salad is the result

Do you have a favorite cookbook? If you’re like me, you may have more than one. But to qualify, the recipes must always taste good and turn out whenever you try a new one. When I am looking for something to make, my “go-to” cookbooks are part of a collection created by the Junior League of Denver. This is where I found one of my favorite summer salad recipes: Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette.

I have a confession: I have too many cookbooks, and despite having a bookcase solely devoted to cookbooks, they don’t all fit. I need to get rid of some, but I can’t resist buying one that catches my eye. I buy them when I travel in order to re-create the food and culture of an area and from trusted sources like Ina Garten or America’s Test Kitchen.

Some of my favorite cookbooks are from groups who have created it as a fundraiser. I like them because they typically include information about the organization and sometimes even the name of the person who submitted the recipe. Recipes in these cookbooks are usually very good and often support a good cause, a bonus. The Junior League of Denver has put together a series of cookbooks that do both, and every recipe I’ve tried has been worthy of making a second time.

My exposure to these cookbooks started more than 40 years ago when I visited my husband’s Aunt Pat for the first time in Evergreen, Colorado. She had a few cookbooks on a shelf in her pantry and she recommended I look at one titled “Colorado Cache,” the first collection of recipes put together by the group. Before I left Colorado, I purchased a copy for myself and have bought three of their subsequent books.

I have a shelf in my bookcase where I keep the cookbooks I refer to most frequently, and all four of these books are on that shelf. They are now adorned with bookmarks noting favorite recipes, handwritten notes and an occasional spill mark, always a sign of a well-loved cookbook.

This salad is from the third in the league’s series titled “Colorado Collage.” It is pretty simple but does include a homemade salad dressing that is definitely worth the extra effort as it adds so much flavor, albeit from an unusual combination of ingredients.

When I saw cinnamon in the name of this recipe, I immediately thought this would be a fall salad, but with fresh strawberries available now, it is also perfect for spring and summer. Raspberry vinegar, Tabasco and olive oil are combined with cinnamon and a little sugar to make a dressing unlike any other I have ever had. It is delicious with strawberries, oranges and pecans. Don’t let the Tabasco scare you. The dressing is not spicy. But if you are shy about using it, taste it before adding it, and then add a couple of drops at a time as it adds flavor.

I have made other salads containing strawberries, oranges and often almonds, for which I have also added goat cheese or the like, but I have never done that with this recipe. On the other hand, I have added blueberries or raspberries, and they have tasted very good. I have also made a meal out of this recipe by adding chicken.

When I bring this salad to a gathering, people always ask for the recipe, which, to me, is a sign of a winning recipe.

And, if you ever run across a cookbook from the Junior League of Denver, be sure to look through the recipes.

Do you have a favorite cookbook? I would love to hear about it, so drop me an email sharing the title and favorite recipe. Until then, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as others seem to.

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

⅓ cup olive oil

⅓ cup raspberry or currant vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon Tabasco

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 pint strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered

1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, salt, pepper and cinnamon in a jar and shake to combine. Chill for at least two hours.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, oranges, strawberries, red onion, pecans and avocado. When ready to serve, add half of the chilled dressing and toss to coat. Pass remaining dressing.

Serves 6 to 8

— From “Colorado Collage” a cookbook from The Junior League of Denver