Strawberry Salad

• 1 bunch spinach, arugula, or romaine
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
• 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, feta, or mozzarella
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: pecans or walnuts
• Optional: thinly sliced celery

1. Tear or chop the leafy greens and mint leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Hull strawberries (remove leaves and pith) and slice into thin pieces. Add to bowl.
3. With a serrated knife, halve or quarter cherry tomatoes. Add to bowl.
4. Peel and dice avocado, add to bowl.
5. Very thinly slice half a red onion, and add to bowl.
6. Juice a lime directly into the bowl - make sure it covers the avocado and strawberry.
7. Drizzle olive oil over everything.
8. Crumble cheese and add to bowl.
9. Very gently mix ingredients together until everything is coated with olive oil and lime juice
10. Salt and pepper to taste - be careful not to squish avocado. Garnish with more mint and enjoy!

On average, strawberries each have 200 seeds.

Strawberries have seeds on the outside and they do not come from a single ovary, so, technically, strawberries are not a berry, or a fruit, or a vegetable - they are in a category of their own.

Roots of strawberry plants rarely grow more than 3 inches below the soil.

94% of American households consume strawberries.

According to the USDA, an average American consumes 3.4 lbs of fresh strawberries and 1.8 lbs of frozen strawberries every year.

Strawberries are grown in every state in the United States.

California produces 75% of the United States’ strawberry crop, approximately 1 billion pounds every year. If all the strawberries produced in California were lined up in a row, they would reach around the world 15 times.

During harvest time, 10 million baskets of strawberries are shipped daily from California.

Strawberry plants do best in mild weather between 55-78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Strawberries are members of the rose family - they give off a sweet fragrance when they are in flower.

Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers, and used them to treat depression, fever, kidney stones, bad breath, and sore throats.

Native Americans consumed strawberries far earlier than Europeans. In fact, Native Americans introduced Europeans to strawberries.

Strawberries reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. They are low in calories and high in vitamins C, B6, K, fiber, folic acid, potassium, and amino acids. Strawberry juice also helps to reduce inflammation or sunburn.

Strawberries contain high levels of nitrate, which helps increase blood and oxygen flow to muscles. Because of this, they are a great snack to eat before exercise!