Amazing Spinach Salad (aka Sader Salad)

Easter always take me back to St. Georges Church in Ardmore. A very large stone, stately church on the corner of Darby Road and Ardmore Avenue in Havertown, PA. I started attending there when I moved to the area as a young teen. Father Jim McKendrick was a great man, at least in the eyes of a 13 year old. Even well heated the church building was always cold. To stand in it now, I'm sure the hymn "How Great Thou Art" would still echo thru it, as sung by an old family friend in a deep bass voice. It echoes in my brain as I type, just as if I were standing in the stone church's large sanctuary.

Our pastor knew the value of the Passover lesson and what it meant to us as a church. The beauty of it's ceremony and the celebration of it's meal. The food, oh the food. I remember this amazing salad that was brought each year. I added one variation, which I don't know if it was kosher or not. It is an AMAZING salad. I made it this year. For the first time in 21 years it passed my lips. I made it to take to Easter dinner with close friends and their family. And it was devoured on Easter Sunday, just as it always was those Saturday Eve's before Easter. I am showing you the recipe halved because it is a HUGE salad to feed like 15 people or something.

This salad could very easily be made into a meal by adding grilled chicken, steak, pork or fish.

Again, I did not photograph it. My friend did, so I hope to post the picture as soon as she sends it to me. (She IS 8 1/2 mos pregnant right now, so it may be a while! )


Spinach Salad (a.k.a. Sader Salad)

1 9 oz package Baby Spinach Leaves
5 oz sliced white mushrooms
8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (I used a slicer and then cut in half)
2 Tbs freshly chopped chives

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup FRESH lemon juice
1 tsp dijion mustard (more if you like it's tang)
1 tsp honey (more if you like it sweeter)
1 clove garlic, minced very fine
dash salt & pepper

Put fresh lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic and salt & pepper in a small non-reactive bowl (glass, ceramic). Slowly whisk in the olive oil so that it emulsifies. Whisk well so that ingredients are the texture of heavy cream.

Layer spinach, mushrooms, eggs and bacon in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss well, so that each piece is covered in dressing.

Sprinkle chives over top.

Serve imediately.

This salad will not preserve well since it is dressed before serving. I do not think you will have to worry though. There is not ususally leftovers.

Thank you for walking down memory lane with me.