This post is made in partnership with TINE.

Berries are one of the many highlights of the summer. Fresh and sweet with eye-popping colors. As the garden begins to fill with an abundance of plants, my mind always heads toward lighter, summery dishes like salads, which feel particularly luxurious after the long, Norwegian winter. The combination of berries and garden greens in a salad offers an incredible array of textures with accents of sweetness, bitterness, and tartness.

For a salad like this, the vinaigrette should merely dance along with the other ingredients, complementing them, but not overpowering them. I have my go-to dressings yet wanted something a little new and different this time. Something that would draw together the farm to table ingredients in one cohesive and tantalizing sweep. That’s when it came to me – brown cheese vinaigrette. So far outside the normal uses of Brunost, and yet it works brilliantly.

Norwegian brown cheese ‘Brunost’ pairs very nicely with berries, as you’ll find with classic waffles topped with a slice or two of Brunost and jam. I wanted a similar marriage with this salad where the base vinaigrette sweetened with honey meets melted brown cheese to form a tangy and sweet golden dressing that hugs every part of the salad. What you get is a delightful salad celebrating the Norwegian summer that will leave you wanting more.

Summer Berry Salad with Brown Cheese Vinaigrette (sommersalat med bære og- brunostvinaigrette)

Serves 4 to 6

For the brown cheese vinaigrette:

• 1 ¾ ounces (50 g) Ski Queen®/Gudbrandsdalen 
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt

For the salad:

• 5 cups (150 g) baby spinach and greens
• 1 cup (200 g) fresh blueberries
• 1 cup (150 g) fresh raspberries
• 1 cup (150 g) quartered fresh strawberries
• ¼ cup (25 g) almond slices, toasted

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In a small saucepan, heat the Brunost, water, and honey over low heat, whisking until melted and combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar, then pour into the Brunost mixture, whisking to combine until emulsified. Season to taste with a little salt.

Toss the greens with half of the dressing and place on a large serving platter. Scatter the berries and toasted almonds on top. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and serve immediately.