I don’t do a lot of sponsored posts on the blog and I definitely don’t let anyone write for my blog for profit. My blog is my place. My place to to write, to cook, to make mistakes and share them. When BrightFarms approached me for a sponsored post, I was ecstatic. I had noticed their brand at my local Pick and Save months ago and was thrilled to see a local option in the produce section.

 

BrightFarms produces greens and distributes them locally. It means you can buy greens that are not traveling far from where you live. As a huge supporter of CSAs, I am also a huge supporter of Bright Farms. Fresher is always better and local is always fresher. So to do a post for them seemed like a natural extension of the blog that allowed me to showcase a brand I already liked without compromising myself as a writer.

The Salad

BrightFarms asked me to come up with a salad using their greens. I was thrilled because I love creating new salads, the hardest part was choosing my ingredients. It came down to fate as I decided to use what I could find. Sweet crunchy honey crisp apples, salty toasted walnuts, sweet dried cherries, roasted sweet potatoes, tender spinach, and peppery arugula. 

This salad is what I all a special occasion salad. A salad to pull out for guests or at a holiday gathering. It involves a few steps, but the result is definitely worth it. 

I love adding warm elements to salad like the roasted sweet potatoes and the walnuts. They make the salad seem a lot less like a salad and more like a side dish. If you want to make potatoes ahead of time, that’s great, but I would recommend heating them a little before you throw them on the salad. 

I love tossing the sweet potatoes with Wildtree’s Rancher Steak Rub which is essentially a garlicky pepper mix. I would suggest using a salty or savory seasoning to contrast the sweetness of the potatoes. Other great seasonings are Chile powder and smoked paprika. And of course, salt. 

Now that we talked about the actual salad, let’s talk about how we can change it. First, I would suggest looking for cubed sweet potatoes at the store and if they don’t have that, try cubed butternut squash. The squash may take 5-10 additional minutes to roast, but it’s sweetness would be similar to the sweet potatoes. 

Don’t have dried cherries? I would have actually preferred to have dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds. The tartness would be a great contrast to the sweetness of the potatoes. 

Don’t have walnuts? Try sliced almonds, pecans, or even pumpkin seeds. Something that will add a salty crunch. 

Let’s talk about the greens. I love spinach. LOVE it. And it’s in season now. Look for locally grown baby spinach and pair it with peppery arugula or a spring mix. Make sure to wash your greens before you eat them. 

Alright, now is the fun part! You can enter below to WIN a $25 gift card to a store that sells BrightFarm greens. Comment below and tell me your favorite fall salad ingredient. On Friday, I will randomly select someone to receive the gift card.