Summer is the glorious season of fresh fruit in the northeast. The strawberries have come, with blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries quick on their heels. Evidence of which you might have seen if you happen to follow SL&G on Instagram.

When fruit is in season, it is at its height of flavor and freshness. There is no other time of year when you will get the voluptuous flavor than when a piece of fruit is newly ripe.

Yeah, you totally loved that description right?

Voluptuous flavor.

We are talking sweet, tangy, juicy, and delectable. I mean all the flavors here.

But, I digress to the topic at hand; mixing fresh fruit into our daily meals.

I’m a huge proponent of this; mainly because fresh fruit is delicious, but also because it adds a ton of extra vitamins, antioxidants, and all the other stuff that we never seem to get enough of.

A lot of people choose to add fruit to their meals with pie.

This is not my go to. Don’t get me wrong I like pie as much as the next person, but really its summer I don’t want to be inside baking away, trying to roll out a finicky crust when I could be outside. I prefer to use seasonal fruit in jams, sauces for meat dishes, or simply adding it to salads like we have done here.

This salad is hefty enough to be a main dish, but would also go wonderfully with a side of grilled salmon or chicken. The tart cherries combine with the peppery arugula and sweet lemon honey vinaigrette to create a wonderful sensation of flavors. The addition of wild rice, as well as walnuts, adds a lot of texture and some crunch as well as some bulk to an otherwise light feeling dish.

Altogether, this dish is the perfect compromise for a hot summer day. It is light enough to prevent you from feeling sluggish and bogged down, while still being filling and healthy. It goes especially well with a glass of chilled white wine, so really there’s nothing more you could ask for.