SALAD MANIFESTO
Salad is never more appetizing than when served in a large wooden bowl. ~Dorothy Draper (1889-1969), Entertaining is Fun (1941)
NO TWO SALADS ARE ALIKE
Choose things you like, but try new foods and combinations. Salad is just tossing vegetables and dressing in a bowl, so don’t be intimidated. Contributing a variety of color, texture and flavor, salad complements just about any cooked meal, except maybe oatmeal. Even on pizza delivery night, there’s every good reason to add a simple salad. It can easily be whipped up while awaiting the delivery guy. I dare you to begin exploring this under-appreciated side dish. Salad can be retiring, but it is never shy. It’s crisp and clean and refreshing to the palate, the body, and the psyche.
We are fortunate to have – even in the dead of winter – a multitude of characters to perform salad magic. Lettuce has high hopes for supremacy but knows, in its hearts of palm, it’s nothing without a supporting cast:  round radishes’ spicy crunch; mushroom slices’ soft silent whiteness; the translucence of a cucumber; a scallion’s oniony flavor, delicate as a whisper; sugary slivers of yellow bell pepper; tiny red grape tomatoes’ tangy liquid bursting in your mouth; and flecks of orange carrot gratings thrown around like confetti. All cause for applause. But I digress.
Salad is the staff of life, so says this cook. If you’re one of the many who claim to not like salad, you’ll not convince me that it isn’t because you don’t know the secrets of making a great one. But I’ll also bet that you haven’t had a lot of practice.
DRESSED FOR SALAD SUCCESS
Before you get riled at the thought of making salad dressing, let me just say that it’s a whole lot easier than you think. Reports to the contrary are perpetuated by the meat & potatoes crowd who never learned what anyone can master. Try it. I promise you will come away more triumphant than confused. The dressing can be made right in the salad bowl, while the rest of the meal is cooking. Or you can make a larger batch of dressing and keep it in the refrigerator. Buy one of those pretty glass bottles with an attached stopper.
There are dozens of dressings we can make, but let’s begin with a basic vinaigrette. Amounts are approximate, depending upon the size of the serving. Put into the bowl and mix with a wire whisk:
- Three parts olive oil, (1 1/2 tsp per serving)
- One part red wine vinegar (1/2 tsp per serving)
Notice how the vinegar & oil resist blending. The oil is next to the vinegar rather than mixed into it. Since oil and vinegar don’t mix, we’re going to add something that helps blend the ingredients together. Add 1/8 teaspoon per serving of one of the following and blend with a whisk:
- Dijon mustard – for the quintessential French flavor
- Plain yogurt – to call more attention to the herb flavors
- Mayonnaise – if you want a subtle tang
See how it transforms right before your eyes. Cooking is chemistry. Maybe that’s why kids like it. There’s always the chance of blowing up the place.
The herbs also help a little in keeping the dressing from separating. If you have a mortar & pestle you can pulverize the herbs: a pinch each of basil, marjoram, rosemary, savory and thyme. If not, just rub between your thumb & forefinger as you add them.
SERVINGS
Make only as much salad as you need for the meal before you, dishing each serving and leaving none left over. Leftover dressed salad isn’t good for much of anything, even to vegetarians. Use vegetables that you like for maximum joy; expand your vegetable horizons as you become better acquainted with the produce kingdom.
Now here is the secret of a great salad; a little-known trifecta that separates the cooks from the rookies. A well-dressed salad is the goal: having the dressing cling to the greens rather than slide off into a lonely puddle of neglected flavor in the bottom of the bowl. Because all of the dressing will make it into your mouth, you’ll actually use less and taste more. Begin with 1 1/2 teaspoons of dressing per salad serving. Here’s a clue: the secret is not in the dressing.
- Dry your greens. All leaves (lettuce, spinach, arugula, parsley) must be completely dry. Â Whether you swing a wire basket, spin a spinner, clean in advance, or dry on paper towels, make sure that there are no clinging droplets of water because lettuce with a wet surface will repel the dressing.
- Start with a large bowl (preferably wood, but I’m not going to insist upon it) allowing plenty of room to toss. Do not make salad in individual serving bowls, I beg you; tossing will be impossible. Make the salad dressing right in the bowl. Next, grate a carrot to act as a buffer against the dressing until tossing time. Tear greens into the bowl on top of the carrot. No cutting with a knife, please; salads are best made by hand. Finally, add whatever fresh vegetables you’ve selected or have on hand. Add a few or many; choices are endless! A modest salad might include green onion, mushroom and tomato; add celery (if you like more crunch), radish (for a little spice), red bell pepper (a touch of sweetness) or avocado (for sensuality). And you’re done!  Just leave it as is until ready for serving, or proceed with Step 3 and enjoy while dinner is cooking.
- Toss salad just before serving, using two wooden spoons or spatulas (or one of each). Dressed salad has a very short shelf life but that doesn’t mean you can’t work in advance. Just don’t toss until you’re ready to serve, and then spend at least a minute. That’s right, 60 seconds. I cannot stress this enough. If you think you don’t have 60 seconds, just do some butt-clenching exercises or make a phone call while tossing, multitasking people that we are. This will insure that every morsel in the bowl is evenly coated. Dish into individual plates or bowls, wipe out the wooden bowl with a slightly damp paper towel, return it to the cupboard, and that’s one less thing to clean up after dinner.
And there you have it:  a tossed salad that will enhance any entrée. You can make one in the amount of time you spent reading this post. No shitake.
