Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

(makes four main course salads)

This is a classic salad that is hearty enough for a meal! Add some crumbled blue cheese if you like. I made this for a group of friends for dinner recently, with over wintered organic spinach from the High Mowing hoop house. Soup and bread complement this nicely.

Spinach Salad

• 1- 1 1/2 lbs washed spinach, either baby leaf or mature (if using mature leaves, rip up into smaller pieces)
• 8-12 pieces of bacon
• One small red onion, sliced thinly
• 4-6 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped or quartered

Warm Bacon Dressing

• 5 tablespoons reserved bacon fat (or use olive oil if you feel weird about bacon fat)
• 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Cook bacon until very crisp in a skillet, in batches if necessary. Drain bacon pieces on a paper towel, and add 5 tablespoons of bacon fat to a small saucepan. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients, mix well, and warm over low heat.

Place the spinach in a large bowl with bacon and onion. Just before eating, add the warm dressing and toss to evenly coat spinach. Divide onto 4 plates and top with chopped eggs and blue cheese, if using.