Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Radish Salad With Strawberry Vinaigrette

This visually striking salad also features crisp, bright red slices of fresh radish, creamy crumbles of goat cheese and toasted, salted pistachios.

Strawberries and rhubarb are complementary partners in a fresh spring salad. juefraphoto/Shutterstock

I’ve never lived in California, but I was chosen for a wine-making fellowship by Les Dames d'Escoffier a few years ago and I’ve also made the trek to Napa Valley and Santa Barbara a few times. So I’m pretty sure when I say there’s a fresh, relaxed way of cooking in California wine country.

Maybe it’s because with beautiful, fresh, local produce available year-round, “farm to table” isn’t just a buzzy marketing tool; it’s a way of life, thanks to an abundance of farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture partnerships offering products at their peak flavor.