Going Local: Raspberry Blue Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Scratch

There's so much hope in a packet of seeds, especially on the darkest of winter days.  The summer sun was a distant memory as I sat bundled up in extra layers in my Tajik house which was frequently without heat, electricity or water.  On really bad days, we were without all three, but this year those days were very few and far between.  Planning my garden, surrounded by my packets of seeds was a firm reminder that Tajik winters really are quite short-lived and generally pretty mild.

When it comes to gardening, I'm a novice, learning a bit more year after year.  What I've learned is that I love growing mixed lettuces!  They are so forgiving and as long as you are good about harvesting (which I am self-admittedly not), the cut-and-come-again varieties will last you for a good couple of months.  I started this batch in a big galvanized tin about three months ago. 

I trimmed back this bunch today and having popped my head in the fridge to see what was lurking, I came up with this delicious summer salad.

For this deceptively simple salad, I tossed a handful of ripe raspberries, a bit of crumbled blue cheese, about four chopped walnuts and tons of black pepper.  

                     

A simple balsamic vinaigrette finished it off.  

Or, should I say, I finished it off?