Dinner Salad

I got several requests to follow up on yesterday's blog entry.
I think it is a shame that a great salad has been reduced to a bag of pre-washed greens and dressing poured from a cold bottle. Salad can be exciting, tantalizing and extremely satisfying with just a few steps and rules.

1.  I am not saying there is any thing wrong with a bag of pre-washed greens. But, please, don't make that the entire salad. On the other hand, buying a variety of fresh greens and cleaning them before adding to the salad can be a wonderful experience and a family activity. Get a good salad spinner like the one that OXO makes. All items should be washed before eating.

2.  Prepare the items you are adding to your salad. Some items are fine fresh and raw. but other items such as Broccoli or Snap Peas and benefit greatly from a quick blanching. Cut into pieces and plunge into boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then remove to ice water. Take the bite out of raw onions with a quick dip in the ice water only. Drain dry before adding to salad. Cut items into different shapes; bite size or smaller for most items.  Carrots for example are often easier to eat grated or cut into matchstick shapes rather than large hard chunks. Cucumber can be watery; scoop out the seeds from the middle.  Try strips or chunks for bell peppers.

3.  Include herbs and spices. Salt and pepper are integral to a tasteful salad. Garlic, Parsley, Basil, Thyme, Tarragon and other herbs enhance the taste of other salad items. But, be careful.  some herbs are very strong and can overwhelm the other items in your salad.

4.  Include fruit. People who I have made salads for are often amazed that fruit is included. They seem to think that the sweetness of the fruit would taste awful with the dressing. The opposite is actually true. Even with a strong dressing like Caesar, the blend of tastes dance on your tongue. Try apples, oranges, strawberries or bananas.

5. Try something new. A dinner salad is a great venue to try a new vegetable yourself or to get your children to try a new vegetable. Put some in your salad. If it is not to your liking, simply push it aside.  Try Broccoli rhab, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Squash, Green Beans or Peas.

6.  Cheese. Put some cheese in your salad. Whether its some grated or shaved Parmesan, Cheddar, goat cheese or Feta. Most cheeses add rather than subtract from your salad experience.

7.  Meats and More.  Meats ( I'll include Eggs here too), Beans and Legumes included in your salad are excellent  for protein, taste and texture.  For Frugality, a little Chicken, Bacon or Ham goes a long way in a Dinner Salad.  Again, this is a chance to include a new or less used item. Try Fresh Bean Sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts, canned pinto beans, Chickpeas or Cranberry Beans.

8.  Bread and Butter enhance the dinner and often complete it. With Vegetables, Fruits, Cheese and your choice of protein, a nice Crusty Bread really does complete the meal.

9.  Dress your salad.  This seems to be an old fashioned concept today.  Whether it's at home or a restaurant, dressing is often just dumped over the top of a salad today. It is much better to dress the salad, coating all of the items in the salad with the dressing and the seasonings.  This should only be done just before serving so that the delicate greens and herbs do not wilt or turn dark in the acid of the dressing. The salad will taste much better and you will find you use less dressing in the process.  If you have a family that wants different dressings; you can dress the salad with a minimal amount of an oil and vinegar dressing. It will mix with any other dressing you finally use.  But please dress the individual salad also.

Enjoy!