Tag Archives: summer salads

Making Summer Salads, Part 2

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Did you know that the best summer salads combine bitter greens with sweet ones? (summer greens, sometimes called “baby greens“)

Achieving this balance in taste will also give you the right mix of textures; bitter lettuces have curly leaves, while sweet greens have smooth ones.

Here are a few to “chew on“:

Radicchio di Treviso (bitter)-The bright red and white leaves of this Italian chicory lettuce add a colorful splash to salads and a jolt of mild bitterness.

Romaine (sweet) has large, long, very crisp leaves with a sweet, refreshing taste. The central leaves are the sweetest and succulent; they’re often sold as hearts of romaine.

Chicory (bitter)-This has crispy edges and an assertive flavor. In many parts of the South, chicory roots are roasted, ground, and used as a coffee flavoring.

Red leaf lettuce (sweet) has leaves that are mild-flavored, soft, and rippled at one end and crisp at the other. The red leaf flavor is much more pronounced than the green leaf variety.

Frisee (bitter)-Often pale yellow in color, frisee is known for its delicately slender curly, almost frilly leaves. This salad green is commonly used in mesclun salad mixes along with arugula and mache.

Mache (sweet) is also known as field lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, and lamb’s tongue. They have the smallest leaves of any baby green and are renowned for their sweet, tangy, nutlike flavor.

Arugula (bitter)-Though not as bitter as radicchio, this variety’s tender, oak-leaf-shaped leaves still pack a pungent peppery taste. This variety is grown in sand, so the leaves can be gritty. Be sure to wash them thoroughly just before serving.

Bibb (sweet) has round, rippled, crisp leaves and a light, buttery flavor that makes them popular in both salads and sandwiches. These leaves can also be used as an edible “plate” or “dish” for tuna, chicken, or egg salad.

Four Sweet Onions That Can be Eaten Raw in Salads

They can:

Be eaten like an apple

Bruise easily and are perishable; refrigerate them ASAP.

Sweet onions are grown all over the South and West and are renowned for their high water and sugar content.

They have a slightly squat shape and thin, light-colored skins.

Avoid bruised ones; they’ll have blemishes and a strong odor.

The Four Most Common:

Texas 1015s are named for the date they’re planted-on October 15th.

Sweet Imperials-These are California onions (more onions grown here than any other state!)

Maui Sweets are grown in Hawaii and are available year-round. They taste similar to a crisp, sweet apple!

Vidalia-Grown in 20 counties surrounding the town of Vidalia, Georgia, they’re America’s best-known onion.

Three Healthy Vegetables and Nut-Based Oils for Salads…..and Two Herbs

Olive oil

Walnut oil

Peanut oil

The Herbs:

Chives

Parsley

Two Quick and Easy Salad Dressing Recipes for All Summer Salads

One’s creamy, one’s light, and can be used to make hot and cold dishes, like hot pasta or potato salad or fresh, tangy cole slaw. Both are also low in fat and sodium.

First, the Creamy Celery Dressing:

Ingredients

One-half Tbs. vinegar

One-half tsp. powdered mustard

One-fourth tsp. celery seed

One-half cup of light mayonnaise

One-fourth cup of reduced low-fat sour cream

In a bowl, whisk the first 3 ingredients together until the mustard dissolves.

Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream.

Let sit for 10 minutes to bring out flavors.

Pour over pasta, potatoes, or cabbage assortment and stir to coat.

Store in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings

And here’s the Light Vinaigrette:

Ingredients

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. garlic, minced

6 Tbs. reduced-fat chicken broth

One-fourth olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, and broth.

Add salt and pepper.

Gradually add olive oil, whisking constantly.

Toss with pasta, potatoes, or salad.

Can also be used as a marinade for fish, chicken, or meat.

You can also add one or more of the following in either one of the dressings:

Chopped scallions

Jicama slices

Chopped celery

Chopped bacon

Chopped bell peppers

Chopped dried fruit

Mustard seeds

Fresh herbs

Chopped fresh chives

Raisins

Roasted garlic cloves

Chopped pecans

Toasted sunflower seeds

Making Summer Salads, Part 1

Posted in American food, Food/home improvement/business by

Here’s a DIY dressing recipe:

Very Easy Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 Tb yellow or Dijon mustard

2 Tbs vinegar or citrus juice (can be balsamic, red wine, apple cider vinegar, lemon, lime, or orange juice)

6 Tbs vegetable or olive oil

In a bowl or jar with a lid, mix together mustard and vinegar until smooth.

Add oil and whisk or shake until blended.

Season with salt and pepper to taste; add 1 tsp of an herb like tarragon, thyme, basil, sage, rosemary, or oregano; a flavorful ingredient such as 1 Tb chopped shallot, 1 Tb sliced scallion, 1 Tb chopped leak, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 Tb chopped red onion, or 1 Tb chopped Vidalia onion; and an add-on like one-half tsp grated ginger root, 1 Tb capers, 1 tsp diced jalapeno peppers, 1 tsp chopped lemongrass, 1 Tb chopped olives, or one-half tsp crushed mixed peppercorns.

Makes 8 servings (1 Tb per serving, ideally)

Work time: 5 min.

Total time: 5 min.

Did You Know That…..

You can set two or three large firm leaves of radicchio or Boston lettuce inside one another to make wonderful bowls for tuna, shrimp, or chicken salads.

Tip: Lettuce has gone limp? Just submerge the leaves in a bowl of ice water; they’ll crisp right up.

There are many things you can add to a salad for enhanced flavor: Mandarin orange slices, grapes, walnuts, or whatever you have on hand.

Crostini (“little toasts”) is an Italian appetizer that’s a fancy version of regular croutons (crostini has more flavor).

Make It

After toasting the bread until crisp, cover each slice with a spread (like pesto or roasted garlic) and a cheese (such as Parmesan or goat). Place in the broiler for several seconds until the toppings are melted.

Slice It

Cool the crostini to room temperature. Cut each piece of toast in half or in quarters. Sprinkle the “croutons” over the salad; toss well to coat.

Tip: Instead of regular bread, go for dense-textured ones, like olive, sourdough, or pumpernickel.

How to make Seven-Flavor Salad:

Ingredients

1 lb. golden beets, trimmed

1 tsp each lime zest and juice

1 cup sour cream

One-half cup buttermilk

One-fourth cup of chopped cilantro

One-half tsp each salt and ground cumin

One-half head of romaine lettuce cut into 1” pieces (about 2 cups)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 jicama (three-fourths lb.), cut into one-half strips

1 small cucumber, seeded and sliced

4 oz. Monterey Jack with jalapeno peppers, shredded

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Boil a large pot of salted water; add beets.

Reduce heat; cool 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Cool beets; peel and slice.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the next seven ingredients.

Toss the beets with dressing and lettuce, tomatoes, jicama, cucumbers, cheese, and avocado.

Makes 8 servings

Work time: 25 min.

Total time: 45 min.

And here’s how to Create Four Versions of Seven-Flavor:

For Colorful Rows, place a bed of romaine lettuce on a serving platter.

Then arrange the ingredients in this order from left to right-shredded cheese, cherry tomato halves, jicama strips, cucumber slices (seeded), sliced beets, and avocado slices.

For a Flower Design, start with a bed of lettuce, then alternately layer large and crunchy items to make the petals (for those with kids, let them get involved; they may love it and be more inclined to eat the “flower!”).

Prefer Easy-to-Serve Salad Bowls at a casual dinner? (the “bowls” consist of radicchio and Boston lettuce leaves)

Just toss the salad ingredients together, then place them in the lettuce bowls.

Serve the bowls on separate plates, or arrange them on a large serving platter in the center of the table.

This salad makes an outstanding Centerpiece for a formal event (this version can be made ahead to save time).

Layer the vegetables in a clear trifle bowl; start with lettuce; alternate colors and textures as you go.

Top with shredded cheese.

Chill overnight.

Put the dressing on the salad right before serving.