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Courtesy of Fresh From Florida

The peppery notes of arugula make a wonderful backdrop for this colorful, fruity salad. Everything about it says, “Ah, summer!”

Salad Ingredients

• 16 ounces arugula, rinsed and drained
• 1 dozen Florida strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup Florida blueberries
• 2 oranges, peeled and segmented
• 8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh-ground pepper to taste

Candied Pecans Ingredients

• 2 cups Florida pecans
• 3/4 cup natural Florida sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Salad Instructions

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add arugula, lemon juice and olive oil. Lightly toss the arugula to coat, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Serve on four chilled plates. Add an even amount of the dressed arugula to the center of each plate. Arrange an even amount of citrus, blueberries and strawberries in a decorative manner on each plate. Evenly distribute the crumbled goat cheese over the top of each salad. Garnish each salad with a few of the candied pecans. Serve chilled.

Candied Pecans Instructions

• Heat oven to 400° F.
• Spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Once the baking sheet is cool, line it with parchment paper.
• In a large skillet, combine the sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir, as this will crystallize the caramel), until the liquid is amber-colored, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the nuts, and then spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, separating the nuts as much as possible. Let cool. Break up any large clusters before serving.