Roasted Strawberry Poppy seed Salad

I told you I had strawberries coming out of my ears, didn't I? Forget 4 kg of berries...the quantity eventually exceeded that, and I fear this whole month will be comprised of strawberry recipes due to us all wading through those fat, shiny and delicious berries here in Queensland.
I don't hear anyone complaining.
And I certainly wasn't complaining when I discovered a delightful Strawberry Poppyseed Salad through The Savvy Kitchen. I missed out on being part of the Secret Recipe Club last month but I'm back in the game with this tantalizing and festive looking combination of leafy greens, poppyseeds and fruit. I admit, it's an unusual medley, and something that has been on my to-make list for a long time. Thankfully my husband enjoys the occasional blind-date with a new and unusual gourmet creation of mine, so I put it to the test with him 1.) knowing that he hates small seeds such as poppy seeds and strawberry seeds in anything because they are hard to get out of your teeth, and 2.) that he comes from a line of people who do not have fruits or nuts in their salads.
The outcome? "That's really good! surprisingly good!" says he as we stabbed our forks around that colourful bowl of salad.
And so it was. The textures and the flavours were beautifully balanced--the nuttiness of the slivered almonds, the crunch of the onion, the tanginess of the strawberries, and the sweetness of the dressing were all a feast for the senses. Not to mention how pretty it looked. To top it off,  neither of us ended up with any demon seeds in our teeth.
I made this recipe with a little twist, as I had been experimenting with strawberries at an earlier point. I decided on baking a tray of sliced strawberries for a few hours in the oven and arrived at a very interesting new garnish. I thought these roasted strawberries would go beautifully in this salad. The roasting process seems to infuse the air with the sweetest strawberry aroma, removing that sweetness from the berry and leaving a very tangy crisp strawberry chip at the end. I think it went beautifully in the salad, but if you cant afford the time in strawberry roasting, fresh berries would be equally as delightful.

ROASTED STRAWBERRY POPPY SEED SALAD (adapted from The Savvy Kitchen)

2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 bag mixed lettuce
1 cup roasted strawberries
3 tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly

In a small bowl, combine sugar, mayonnaise, milk, poppy seeds and vinegar. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Ina large serving bowl, place the washed lettuce leaves. Spinkle the strawberries, almond slivers and onions over the lettuce. Dollop the poppy seed dressing onto the salad and serve.

Serves 6 as sides