I’m not a cooked spinach fan, but I do like spinach served fresh in a salad. (And I love any salad that has bacon as an ingredient!) I’m also not a mushroom gal, so I leave these out when I make it, but it’s good either way.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1/2 pound bacon

　　3/4 cup olive oil

　　1/4 cup red wine vinegar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon minced garlic

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　1 pound leaf spinach, tough stems removed

　　1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

　　

Step 1

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until just crisp. Drain on paper towels and, when cool enough to handle, crumble. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, and pepper. Chill and beat vigorously before using.

　　

Step 3

Wash the spinach leaves very well and spin dry. Tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a medium salad bowl. Add the mushrooms and bacon and toss to combine. Pour 2/3 cup of the dressing over the salad (reserve the rest for another use) and toss again. Serve immediately.

　　

From Beth

Step 4

My friend Venita shared this recipe with me. It’s a special-occasion kind of salad.

　　

From Gwen

Step 5

I’ve tasted many of Venita’s recipes. She’s a natural when it comes to southern cooking!

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.