8 c. spinach leaves, rinsed and stems trimmed
6-8 button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
½ small red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings

For individual salads, arrange some spinach leaves on a plate. Top with a few mushroom slices, a spoonful of chopped egg, and a few onion rings.  Drizzle with dressing.
If you are making a large salad for guests to serve themselves, layer as above in a large bowl.

For the Dressing:
6 slices bacon, diced
2 ½ t. granulated sugar
3 T. minced shallots
½ c. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
¼ t. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 T. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
½ c. olive oil
 

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Add sugar to the bacon fat in the pan; cook and stir until just beginning to brown. Add the shallots; cook and stir until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper; continue cooking and stirring about a minute longer.
Remove from the heat; whisk in oil. Add the basil.
Serve immediately over salad; top with bacon pieces.
Makes about 1 cup.

Mindi Swanson is the Higganum Village Market Masterand long-time food enthusiast. She has been expanding her extensive collection of cookbooks and culinary-appreciative husbands for over 20 years. The Purple Artichoke Catering Company is her one-woman show, specializing in cocktail parties and informal gatherings. She lives in Higganum with her three children/sous-chefs, and their dog, Noodle/disposer-of-kitchen-experiments-gone-wrong.