This salad is my new favorite salad- that is not an exaggeration! If every salad tasted this good, then everyone would be getting their recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The base of this salad is arugula, which was one of the big crops at Belle Mont Farm. The farm is at the base of a volcano, making the soil much more mineral rich. The arugula there was about 10 times spicer than the arugula we have here. I was totally inspired by the pungent flavor of their arugula so I thought “Hmm I need to make an arugula recipe when I get home”! I decided to add peanuts, basil, and watermelon to the greens because all of those ingredients were staples at Belle Mont Farm. The honey vinaigrette that I paired with this mix is the perfect compliment. Please try this recipe- please, please, please. With every bite I took I felt more and more like I was back on the wonderful island of St. Kitts.

For the salad:

5 cups of arugula- washed and dried

6 large basil leaves- cut into thin ribbons

1 cup watermelon- small dice

1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts- roughly chopped

Toss all the ingredients for the salad together in a large bowl. It is important to make sure the basil and the arugula are very dry. The dressing won’t stick if the mix is too wet.

For the vinaigrette:

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp. honey

2 scallions- thinly sliced

pinch of salt and pepper

I put all of my dressing ingredients in a mason jar, put the lid on and shook until completely combined and emulsified.

Dress the salad with as much dressing as desired. I found this amount of dressing to be perfect, but some may like slightly less.