This is one of those lovely concoctions that’s so refreshing you want to eat the whole bowl yourself (don’t think I haven’t done that once or twice!). It is as beautiful as it is delicious, and nutritious, too. What’s not to love? Wow! The color and light in that photo is weird…anyway, I love fruit and cucumbers together. It’s just a winning combination of deliciousness. Okay…enough. The Goddess is moving on to the recipe now. This is similar to Basil & Strawberries…Dessert and a Salad, but less dessert-like…though….
Dice up the oranges, I used a couple of Cara Cara® oranges and a navel. The orange, not the thing in the middle of your belly…oh, you got that, right? Moving on….as the herbs, 
I like a combination of basil, orange mint and lemon balm, cut into a chiffonade; about 2 tablespoons total, maybe even a bit less. And I toss in some snipped chives, too. If you’re a fan of cilantro, this is lovely with a combination of cilantro, mint and chives. The key here is, ‘less is best’. You want the fruit to be the forward flavor.
It is best to combine the strawberries, oranges and herbs a couple of hours before dinner, give it good toss, cover and chill. Then just before you’re going to serve it, dice the avocado and cucumbers, the juice of about 1/2 a lemon, toss and that’s it. 
I’m serving this with Falafel-Coated Snapper. I think they will work well together, along with a bit of basmati rice and some simple sautéed zucchini…asparagus would be nice, too.
Orange,
If you dice the fruit and cucumbers, this becomes almost salsa-like. It could be a pretty tasty condiment with seafood or chicken.
- 3 seedless oranges, peeling and pith removed completely
- 6 large strawberries, sliced
- 3 fresh basil leaves
- 3 fresh lemon balm leaves
- 5-6 orange mint (or 2 regular mint leaves)
- 2 teaspoon snipped fresh chives
- 1 avocado, diced (about the size of a small marble)
- 2 Persian cucumbers, trimmed and diced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
- Pinch of kosher salt
Cut the oranges (I use 2 Cara Cara® and a navel orange) into a large dice, about the size of a small marble. Place in a medium bowl; add the strawberries. Place the basil leaves on a cutting board, one on top of the other. Place the lemon balm and mint leaves inside the basil leaves and roll them tightly together. Using a very sharp knife, cut the leaves across, into chiffonade…very, very thin slices. Place the strips in the bowl. Toss together, cover and chill for up to 2 hours. Just prior to serving, add the diced avocado, cucumbers; toss gently. Squeeze the lemon or lime juice over, sprinkle with salt, add the chives and toss. Serve within 10-15 minutes.
NOTE: This is particularly nice with a variety of oranges—Cara Cara®, blood oranges, navel, mandarins, etc.
Orange, Strawberry, Avocado Salad with Fresh Herb-Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2019. All rights reserved.
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