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In my 20s, my salad days,
I ate salads as an obligation, when they showed up before
an entree. These were usually composed of iceberg lettuce,
bits of carrot and pale, watery tomatoes, since this was
before the invention of fern bars and the advent of arugula,
heirloom tomatoes and designer salads. In my 30s, I ate
these designer salads, but often as a consolation prize,
a substitute for richer, more substantial fare. Now, in
my 40s, and experiencing the second phase of salad days,
I eat them as a nutritionally sound and satisfying meal
in their own right.
Now to the subject at hand: salads worthy
of entrée status. Really, they’re the ideal
meal when the weather’s too steamy to even consider
turning on the stove. But if you’re like me, a bowl
of Romaine lettuce won’t cut it for dinner. I like
a salad with substance, something that’s more than
a handful of flimsy leaves peeking in a coy fashion from
beneath a drizzle of low-fat dressing. Make a salad that
makes a statement, with layers of interesting flavors
and ingredients, and dressings with character.
Start with lively lettuces. Everyone's
over mesclun mix, and Romaine is just so ‘90s. Mix
it up a little: marry the tangy bite of arugula or the
pale, bitter crunch of frisée with a mild lettuce,
like baby oak leaf, red leaf or bibb. Toss in some Belgian
endive or watercress for texture and a crisp, zingy flavor.
Add fresh herbs--a handful of coarsely chopped basil or
cilantro, oregano or thyme leaves—for a clean, fragrant
lift.
Load up your leaves with interesting ingredients,
like thinly sliced fennel, asparagus, pomegranate seeds,
artichoke hearts, grated celery root, chunks of mango
or avocado, tiny yellow pear tomatoes, grilled wild mushrooms
or Moroccan olives. Try different presentations of salad
standards: slice peppers into ultra-thin strips, cut English
cucumbers into half-moons, cut carrots into confetti.
Then toss in water chestnuts, cubes of jicama, raw almonds
or sunflower seeds to add crunch instead of croutons.
A layer of garbanzo, kidney or black beans
adds protein, fiber and substance. Or toss in a few shrimp,
chunks of fish, or strips of organic beef or chicken.
Use a small amount of sharply flavored organic cheese—bleu,
feta, grated asiago or small cubes of manchego—for
an unexpected bite. After your salad is constructed, scatter
the top with a handful of edible flowers, basil leaves
or chopped hazelnuts.
Complete your meal with whole-grain bread
and organic cheese, then finish with lemon sorbet or a
bowl of fresh raspberries. For beverages, serve champagne
glasses of grapefruit juice and sparkling water, or a
blend of chilled hibiscus tea and white grape juice in
frosted mugs.
Cleopatra first used the phrase salad
days to express her regret at her youthful inexperience
and indiscretions with Julius Caesar.
Mache, Radicchio and Endive Salad with Blackberries
and Mango
Serves 4
3 medium heads Belgian endive
1 small head radicchio
1 cup mache leaves
1 cup mango cubes
3 ounces ricotta salata cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 cup fresh blackberries
Blackberry Grapefruit Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Cut endive heads crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a
large salad bowl, combine endive with mache and arugula.
Add mango cubes, ricotta salata and hazelnuts. Drizzle
with just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves, and
toss to mix. Divide among four salad plates, scatter with
fresh blackberries, and serve immediately
Basil Salad with White Beans, Sweet
Peas and Yellow Tomatoes
Serves 4
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup baby arugula leaves
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup cooked or canned, rinsed and drained white beans
1 cup fresh garden peas, uncooked or lightly steamed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup Moroccan olives
1 cup yellow pear tomatoes
Lemon-Walnut Dressing (recipe below)
In a large salad bowl, combine basil, arugula and spinach;
toss to mix. Add white beans, garden peas, chopped almonds
and olives. Drizzle with just enough dressing to lightly
coat leaves, and toss to mix. Add tomatoes, and toss gently.
Divide salad among four individual plates and serve immediately.
Lisa Turner is a food and nutrition writer in Boulder,
Colorado. She writes food columns for local and national
magazines, teaches at Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition
and Culinary Arts, and eats chocolate every chance she
gets.
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Five
Really Good Reasons To Eat Salad
1. They’re rich in phytochemicals. Fruits,
veggies and beans contain fiber and healthy phytochemicals
that help prevent disease.
2. They’re packed with fiber. A cup of raspberries
has 8 grams of fiber, a cup of kidney beans, 15 grams.
Compare that to a slice of whole-wheat bread, with a paltry
2 grams of fiber.
3. They’re mostly raw. Cooking food destroys enzymes,
and damages many essential vitamins, minerals and other
nutrients.
4. They’re quick to make. Leaving more time for
playing in the sun, or under the summer stars.
5. They’re light. You’re showing more skin
now. Enough said.
The Best Dressed Salad
Many a good intention—and salad--has been ruined
by Ranch dressing. Naked piles of lettuce hold little
appeal; it's often the dressing that makes the salad.
But fatty, cream-based dressings overwhelm subtle flavors
and add stuff we don’t want in our diets. Try these
dressings for lighter, more inspired flavor, and you may
never go back to the Ranch.
Miso-Tahini Dressing
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup white miso
2/3 cup tahini
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
To make dressing, combine miso, tahini and honey in a
small bowl. Gradually stir in apple cider vinegar. Season
with sea salt and pepper.
Rosemary-Dijon Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup extra-virgin extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, mustard
and rosemary. Add extra virgin olive oil in a slow, steady
stream, whisking constantly until oil is incorporated.
Season with sea salt and pepper.
Blackberry Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Makes about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup blackberry preserves
Pinch cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small glass jar and shake
vigorously until smooth. Season with sea salt, pepper
and additional cayenne pepper, if desired.
Lemon Walnut Vinaigrette
Makes about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced toasted walnuts
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting
lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Season with
sea salt and pepper.
Creole Vinaigrette
Makes about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 yolk from an organic hard-boiled egg, crumbled
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a blender, combine vinegar, mustard, egg yolk, garlic,
Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Blend
until well mixed. With blender running, add extra virgin
olive oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until combined
well. Season with black pepper and additional sea salt,
if desired.
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JULY/AUGUST 2008 FEATURE ARTICLES
