Chapter 10
Salads for All Seasons
In This Chapter
Storing salad greens
Making sure your salad is well dressed
Combining ingredients to make classic impromptu salads
Recipes in This Chapter
Green Leaf Salad
Crudités with Aioli
Tuscan-style Bread and Tomato Salad
Roast Capsicum Salad
Potato Salad
Fresh Pear, Walnut and Watercress Salad
Salad Niçoise
Som Tom (Thai Prawn Salad
It takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar and a spendthrift for the oil. — Anonymous
A warm or cold salad can be a first course, an accompaniment to a main meal or a meal in itself. Salads can have crunchy textures mingled with smooth textures and should be a pleasant mixture of fresh food mingling with the robust flavour of the dressing. Salads are at their best when fresh and crisp and visual appeal is an important part of the attraction.
Make light salads to accompany rich meals and a fuller salad to go with light meals such as grilled fish or omelettes. Robust dishes like pork or duck go well with bitter salad leaves that cut the heaviness. Salads may be served carefully arranged on individual plates, tossed in bowls, or put in a large bowl or platter that can be passed around the table.
When making a salad as a main course make it a nutritionally balanced meal by including a carbohydrate like potato or bread, and some protein such as cooked meats, poultry, seafood or simply some shavings of parmesan or crumbled dry goat’s cheese.
This chapter is devoted to showing you how to put together a variety of delicious, fresh salads and encourages you to be creative in your use of ingredients and dressings.
Buying and Storing Salad Greens
Buy salad greens that look fresh and recently cut, with no discolouration. If you buy loose leaves, plan to eat them the same day or, at the latest, the next day: Tender young leaves don’t last long and they’re at their best fresh. Store lettuce whole to give it a longer life, and store salad greens in perforated or green longlife bags in the refrigerator after discarding any old tough leaves, leaving the bags open slightly to allow air to circulate.
Don’t forget to wash leaves and vegetables thoroughly in cold water to get rid of the sandy grit.
Salad leaves and vegetables need to be dry in order to absorb the dressing properly. Dry them in a tea towel or use a salad spinner, a handy plastic container that spins the leaves dry when you pull on a thread or turn a handle. When the leaves are dry, wrap them in a dry tea towel and return them to the fridge until you make the salad. Leaves are best torn (not cut) just before serving.
Dressing Up Your Salads
What is going to interest you much more than my opera is the discovery I have just made of a new salad for which I hasten to send you the recipe. Take Provence oil, French vinegar, a little lemon juice, pepper and salt. Whisk and mix all together. Then throw in a few truffles, which you have taken care to cut in to tiny pieces. The truffles give to this seasoning a kind of nimbus to plunge the gourmand into an ecstasy. — Rossini, opera composer
If you have just won Lotto, then Rossini’s dressing is for you. The rest of us have to make do with a simple vinaigrette that relies on the quality of the oil and vinegar. The finer the quality, the better the salad will taste. Buy cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings. Be wary — top olive oils can be very expensive and may make buying truffles seem cheap. Here are some suggestions for a well-dressed salad (see Chapter 9 for recipes):
Vinaigrette. This oil and vinegar combination is hard to beat as a dressing as are its variations — garlic, herbed, paprika, Moroccan and chilli.
Pesto. When basil is plentiful, add a few teaspoons of pesto to flavour a vinaigrette or toss through warm waxy potatoes for potato salad.
Tapenade. Add a teaspoon or two of this olive paste to a vinaigrette to pour over a green leaf salad. Or put the vinaigrette in a plastic sauce bottle and squeeze the black sauce around the salad plate for a decorative effect.
Middle Eastern Spice Mix. Put a teaspoon of this fragrant spice mixture in a vinaigrette made with lemon juice for a tomato or mixed salad. Good also with meat or seafood salads.
Mayonnaise and its variations — aioli, green, basil or tarragon, ginger and chilli — makes for a richer, more satisfying salad.
A salad is a simple dish, but it’s also an easy dish to ruin: too much vinegar in the vinaigrette is unpalatable, dressing the salad too early makes the leaves wilt and go soggy, and too much dressing will drown the leaves beyond resuscitation. If you follow a few rules success will follow and you’ll disprove the old saying that a salad maker is born, not made.
Getting Creative with Salads
An impromptu salad is a celebration of the seasons. This is where your imagination can take flight, though impromptu salads aren’t a call for hundreds of ingredients. Create your own salad while keeping in mind taste, texture, colour and visual appeal. Place your prepared ingredients in a large salad bowl and dress and toss the salad in front of your guests so they can share the fresh fragrance and the casual beauty of the performance. Have fun composing and enjoying the results.
Remember, you need to exercise a little discretion when combining ingredients — for instance, mixing any seafood with meat or poultry will rarely be successful. The exception is anchovy, a little of which goes a long way. It is usually best to use only one carbohydrate in a salad — potato, pasta, haricot beans, red kidney beans or chickpeas. Surprisingly, rice and lentils are an exception and make an excellent salad when flavoured with golden shallots and vinaigrette.
Favourite salad leaves
Making salads is rewarding with all the quality salad leaves now so regularly available — baby spinach leaves, curly endive and purslane, as well as the leaves illustrated in Figure 10-1. Try different leaves and experiment with combinations of vegetables and dressings. Here are some popular salad leaves:
Endive. Crisp, curly leaves with tender pale green leaves in its heart. Endive is the bitter herb used at the Passover and adds a pleasant, bitter taste and texture to a mixture of leaves.
Lamb’s lettuce. This green plant has a fresh, nutty flavour. The dear little leaves look great in salads and as a garnish.
Lettuce. There are many varieties of lettuce, the foundation of many salads. The sharper flavours of other leaves and vegetables add texture and variety. Webb or Iceberg and Cos lettuces have crisp leaves wrapped tightly round a heart, while Mignonette and Oakleaf lettuce are soft leaved with a loosely packed heart.
Mesclun. This Provençal word means ‘mixed’. A mesclun nowadays describes mixtures of baby leaves including beet leaves, mizuna, oakleaf, radicchio, curly endive, rocket, spinach, lollo rosso, tat soi and pea leaf shoots.
Mustard and cress. These provide a peppery taste in salads, garnishes and sandwiches.
Nasturtium leaves, flowers and buds. Nasturtiums can be eaten and give salads a fresh peppery flavour. Violets, marigold petals and rose petals are also pleasant but check first that they haven’t been sprayed with insecticide.
Pea leaf shoots. These pretty shoots are the young green tops of snow pea plants. They make a fresh, crunchy addition in salads or used as a garnish.
Purslane. This very nutritious vegetable is believed to have great healing properties. Purslane is a good addition to a mixed leaf salad and makes an excellent salad with tomatoes, cucumber and Moroccan dressing.
Radicchio. This plant has beautiful red and pink leaves in its heart with fine, white ribs. Use radicchio for its beauty as well as its slightly bitter taste.
Rocket or arugula leaves. The strong peppery flavour of rocket makes it a good addition to a mixed salad. Add the attractive, yellow flowers to the salad as well. Some believe that the seeds are an aphrodisiac.
Vegetable leaves. Some vegetables have tender leaves that are suitable for salads, such as beetroot, radish and spinach (see Chapter 7).
Watercress. These leaves have a slightly peppery taste making them a perfect salad ingredient. Keep them in a bowl of water as you would flowers — they keep growing for some days if they still have their roots. Pears, oranges or apples make a great combination with watercress with a mustardy vinaigrette.
Witlof. Also known as Belgian witloof, this has small, tightly clustered, white leaves with yellow, tender tips. Use the leaves whole or sliced in salad to add a crisp, slightly bitter taste. Witlof makes a delicious cooked vegetable in a gratin.
Figure 10-1: A variety of salad leaves
Good salad vegetables
Many vegetables are suitable for salads (see Chapter 7). Among them are asparagus, beans, broccoli, carrots, fennel, mushrooms, members of the onion family, peas, potatoes and, not to forget, tomatoes. The following vegetables also work well in salads:
Avocado. This vegetable fruit has rich buttery flesh with a delicate, but distinctive, flavour. Avocado is a perfect partner in a seafood salad or a green leaf salad.
Beetroot. Baby beetroot or beetroot wedges are a sweet addition to a salad. They should be boiled in their skins first until tender. The skin slips off easily but may stain your hands; wear rubber gloves if this bothers you. Add them to a salad last so their red juice doesn’t stain the leaves, or make as a separate salad with chopped red onion and vinaigrette.
Capsicum. Green capsicums have twice the vitamin C content as oranges and the ripened red and yellow ones have nearly four times as much. Capsicums become sweeter as they ripen and according to the amount of sun and heat in which they are grown. Choose firm thick capsicums, with shiny skin and no blemishes. To prepare capsicums for salads, cut them into quarters and remove the seeds, core and ribs, then cut into strips.
Cucumber. This favourite summer vegetable with its cool, distinctive taste combines well with ginger and garlic, dill and chives, vinaigrette, yoghurt and sour cream. Lebanese have the best flavour and crunch.
Radishes. These peppery vegetables add colour and crunch to salads — ideal sliced and mixed with salad leaves or shaved and mixed with shaved fennel.
More than just a lettuce leaf – salad extras
Great salads, like other good things in life, are often impromptu affairs so it’s good to be aware of the range of ingredients you can use to throw a salad together.
Anchovies. These salty fish give a piquant touch and depth of flavour, particularly to tomato salad. Anchovies are a major flavouring in Caesar Salad and Salade Niçoise.
Cheese. Cheese adds richness and flavour to salads. Add protein to a salad by crumbling blue cheese into a vinaigrette, shaving parmesan over green leaves or adding dry or fresh goat’s cheese to a green salad. Feta is an important ingredient of Greek salads and a tasty cheddar enriches a garden salad.
Croûtes, croûtons, pasta, grains, pulses and potatoes. Add carbohydrates to a salad by adding bread, pasta or potatoes. These give a pleasant contrast to the crispness of the vegetables and add substance to a salad.
Eggs. Whether hard-boiled or poached, eggs make a salad a more substantial meal. Eggs are particularly good with strong or bitter greens like curly endive and witlof as they soften the taste.
Seafood, meats and poultry. Meat adds protein to a salad for a balanced main meal. Salads are an excellent way to use leftover meats. Canned tuna packed in olive oil is a classic flavour and texture to mix with salad.
Nuts. Walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds, macadamias, pine nuts and hazelnuts add a pleasant crunch factor to salads and are particularly good with the more bitter greens as the buttery texture complements the bitterness. Dry roasting the nuts in a small frying pan intensifies the taste.
Fruit. Olives and grapes make a splendid addition to mixed salads, as do slices of fresh orange, peach, nectarine and crisp apples and pears.
Fresh herbs. Herbs impart their distinctive taste to a salad and some partnerships, like tomato and basil, are legendary. See more about herbs in Chapter 3.
Green Leaf Salad
There are many versions of green leaf salad or garden salad. Remember though, a salad bowl isn’t a garbage bin and less is often more. Experiment by adding ripe cherry tomatoes or sliced radish, and gather ideas from the preceding lists of salad leaves and vegetables. Add Goat’s Cheese Croûtes for a more substantial meal.
Tools: Small bowl, vegetable knife
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Servings: Serves 4
A selection of greens such as curly endive, radicchio, oakleaf lettuce, baby spinach leaves, watercress, baby cos lettuce leaves
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons each walnut or hazelnut oil and virgin olive oil
Small handful of fresh chervil or parsley leaves
Roasted Goat’s Cheese Croûtes (see recipe following)
1 Wash and pick over the greens, removing any stems and browned leaves, and dry the leaves thoroughly. Wrap in a tea towel and place in the refrigerator to crisp until ready to serve.
2 Whisk the vinegar, salt and pepper and oils in a salad bowl large enough to fit the salad greens. Put the greens and chervil or parsley in the bowl and toss gently with the dressing. Pile little mounds of salad greens on serving plates and, if making goat’s cheese croûtes, place 1 or 2 on each plate.
Roasted Goat’s Cheese Croûtes
Crisp baguette slices with a faint hint of garlic and goat’s cheese can be roasted as a crunchy addition to a salad.
8 thin slices of baguette or crusty bread
Olive oil
1 garlic clove
8 slices fresh goat’s cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2 Butter or brush 8 thin slices of baguette or crusty bread with olive oil. Rub a cut garlic clove over the bread slices and place a slice of fresh goat’s cheese on each slice. Drizzle on a little olive oil and season with a good grinding of pepper and some sea salt.
3 Arrange on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Crudités with Aioli
Crudités served on a large platter represent a beautiful still life of seasonal vegetables garnished with wedges of hard-boiled eggs and sprigs of fresh herbs. Serve with a bowl of aioli or vinaigrette (or both) so guests can help themselves. This salad is a great ice-breaker when served as a starter or a summer lunch. Choose among the vegetables listed depending on the season and what is best in the markets and shops.
Tools: Vegetable knife, frying pan, saucepan, colander, food processor or electric beater or whisk, bowl
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: Serves about 6 as a main course
1 quantity Aioli or Vinaigrette (see Chapter 9)
2 bunches asparagus, snapped and washed
250 g green beans, trimmed and washed
1 fennel bulb, cut into thin wedges
1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed or 2 medium carrots, cut into sticks
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and washed
1⁄2 bunch spring onions, trimmed and washed
1 punnet cherry tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes, quartered
4 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into sticks
2 cups cauliflower or broccoli florets, washed
2 Lebanese cucumbers, washed, cut into sticks
4 eggs, hardboiled (see Chapter 11), peeled and quartered
Sprigs of fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, basil, dill, thyme or snipped chives
1 Make the aioli or vinaigrette and reserve. These can be made a few hours beforehand.
2 Parboil the asparagus for about 3–5 minutes, depending on size, and refresh in iced water then drain. Parboil the green beans for 3 minutes, refresh and drain.
3 An hour or two before serving, trim, wash and dry your selection of salad vegetables and cut into suggested shapes. Place them decoratively on a large platter along with the hard-boiled eggs and herb sprigs. Cover with cling film and refrigerate or set aside in a cool place and put damp tea towels over the cling film to keep the salad cool. Serve with a bowl of aioli or vinaigrette.
Tuscan-style Bread and Tomato Salad
This is a simple, rustic bread salad known as panzanella — there are many versions of this salad but this basic version is surprisingly good. Other ingredients can be added to heighten the flavour such as chunks of quality canned tuna (packed in oil), a handful of green or black olives, a couple of anchovy fillets or a tablespoon of capers. Eat as a starter or a light meal. The salad relies on quality bread — use Italian crusty or good white sourdough bread. Buy tasty tomatoes and store them at room temperature for ripeness and the best flavour.
Tools: Vegetable knife, chef’s knife, salad bowl, wooden salad servers
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Servings: Serves 4
4 thick slices good bread
6 ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped or wedged
1 red salad onion, finely sliced
1 cup fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1–2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 Break the bread slices into chunky bite-size pieces. Place in a large salad bowl with the tomatoes and onion rings. Toss lightly then add basil and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2 Sprinkle with olive oil and vinegar, toss lightly then allow to stand for 15 minutes for the flavours to blend. Transfer to plates at table.
Roast Capsicum Salad
A rustic Spanish salad which celebrates the sweet and smoky flavours of freshly chargrilled capsicums. Serve with chunks of crusty bread to mop up the juices.
Tools: Vegetable knife, chef’s knife, frying pan, spatula
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: Serves 4–6
2 red and 2 yellow capsicums, roasted and skins removed (see sidebar ‘Giving capsicums a roasting’)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup small black olives
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained
Fresh herbs such as chopped parsley, oregano leaves, snipped chives and torn basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
1 Cut each capsicum quarter into 2–3 strips and place them in a shallow serving dish.
2 To make the dressing, place the olive oil, olives, garlic, capers and herbs in a frying pan over a medium heat, and toss lightly for only an instant. Add the salt and pepper to taste and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and spoon the dressing over the capsicums. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Potato Salad
Good old-fashioned potato salad is a rich, satisfying dish when made well. Margaret was lucky enough to learn to make this delicious potato salad from a master French chef. The most important ingredient is quality waxy potatoes such as Pink Fir Apple, Pink Eyes, Kipflers, Desirées or baby new potatoes. The other important thing to remember is that potato salad is best served at room temperature.
Tools: Saucepan, vegetable knife, chef’s knife, shallow serving dish, bowl, whisk
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 25 minutes
Servings: Serves 4–6
750 g waxy potatoes, unpeeled
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons hot chicken stock or hot water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon, chopped
3–4 spring onions, chopped
1 Boil the potatoes, unpeeled, in salted water in a covered saucepan over a medium heat until they are tender when tested with a skewer.
2 Drain, peel and cut the potatoes into thick slices. Spread them over a shallow dish. While the potatoes are still hot, season with the salt and a little pepper.
3 Put the vinegar and oil in a small bowl and beat together well with a fork then sprinkle over the potatoes. Add the hot stock, chopped herbs to taste and spring onions. Let the salad stand at room temperature until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn the potato slices carefully to ensure even seasoning. Serve the salad at room temperature.
Variations
Potato Salad with Mayonnaise: For a creamy salad, spoon 1⁄2 cup of mayonnaise over the potatoes after the dressing is absorbed and mix through carefully. Top with extra chopped parsley.
Potato Salad with Red Capsicums: Make the potato salad with mayonnaise. Roast 2 red capsicums and remove the skin. Cut into strips and arrange the strips around or in a lattice fashion on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley.
Potato Salad with Anchovy and Olives: Make potato salad (without mayonnaise) and fold in 6 anchovy fillets, halved, and 2 tablespoons of small olives and garnish with chopped fresh chervil or parsley.
Fresh Pear, Walnut and Watercress Salad
This is a perfect salad combination on its own or as an accompaniment to a simple lamb or fish grill. The crisp, sweet pear is refreshing with the peppery watercress while the walnuts add a rich crunchy texture.
Tools: Grater, chef’s knife, vegetable knife, salad bowl, salad servers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Servings: Serves 4–6
2 tablespoons wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup cold pressed virgin olive oil
Bunch of watercress
4 ripe pears
1⁄2 cup walnut pieces
1 Place the vinegar, mustard, ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Using a fork, gradually beat in the oil until a thick dressing is formed.
2 Wash the watercress well and break into sprigs, removing the tough stalks and roots. Dry well. Peel the pears and halve them, removing the cores, and cut into slices.
3 Put watercress, pears and walnuts into a salad bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.
Variations
Shaved fennel and watercress: Replace the pear in the above recipe with 2 cups of shaved fennel. Omit the ginger and replace the walnuts with 1⁄2 cup of small stoned black olives.
Orange, walnut and watercress salad: Replace the pear and ginger with fine slices of 3 oranges, pith removed.
Fresh pear, blue cheese and watercress: Omit the walnuts and ginger and replace with 1⁄2 cup of crumbled blue cheese — gorganzola-style from sheep’s milk, stilton or any of the fine farmhouse blue cheeses being made in Australia and New Zealand.
Salad Niçoise
This is a hearty meal on its own and one of the best of all salad combinations. It combines raw and cooked ingredients with either canned or freshly cooked tuna though the slow-roasted fresh tuna takes more time. Serve with crusty bread.
Tools: 2–3 saucepans, vegetable knife, chef’s knife, salad bowl, salad servers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: Serves 4
500 g new potatoes, scrubbed, but unpeeled
4 x 55 g eggs, at room temperature
500 g green beans, ends trimmed
2 x 185 g cans of good quality tuna preserved in oil
1 cos lettuce, washed and dried
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into bite-size wedges
3⁄4 cup small black olives
Sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley or basil
1 Boil the unpeeled new potatoes in salted water over a low heat until just tender. Do not allow to break. Drain and peel.
2 Lower the eggs carefully into warm water in a saucepan and bring the water slowly to the boil, stirring all the time so as to centre the yolks. Once the water is simmering, allow to cook for 8 minutes. Drain, lightly crack the eggshells and leave to cool completely in cold water.
3 Drop the prepared beans into a little boiling salted water and cook over a low heat for 6–8 minutes until tender but still crisp. Drain immediately and refresh under cold water, then leave to drain.
4 Drain the tuna from the can and break into large chunks. Arrange the lettuce leaves in a large bowl or serving platter. Slice the potatoes thickly and arrange on top of the leaves. Shell the eggs and slice into quarters lengthwise. Arrange the beans, tomatoes, olives and eggs around the bowl or platter. Top with chunks of tuna and the herbs. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. When serving, take a good wedge from the bowl or plate, ensuring that each person has a taste of everything.
Variation
Salad Niçoise with Fresh Tuna: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Put a 500 g piece of fresh tuna into an ovenproof pan into which it just fits snugly. Cover completely with light olive oil and sprinkle some fresh herbs over the top. Cover and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool in the oil. When cold, take the tuna out and drain off the oil. Cut into slices for serving. Slow-roasted tuna in oil is wonderful in this salad and also on its own served with Mayonnaise and some fresh green leaves.
Som Tom (Thai Prawn Salad)
A delicious prawn salad combining the hot sweet flavours of chilli and pawpaw with the crunch of roasted macadamia nuts. Serve as a first course or light lunch.
Tools: Chef’s knife, vegetable knife, small frying pan, small jar
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Servings: Serves 4–6
1⁄2 Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into finger-size pieces
1 green or firm pawpaw, peeled, seeded and sliced into bite-size pieces
500 g cooked small prawns, shelled and deveined
1 punnet (about 16) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons dry-roasted macadamia nuts or peanuts, chopped
Dressing
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped spring onion
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chilli
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Make a bed of the shredded cabbage on a serving platter. Arrange the cucumber and pawpaw around the lettuce, put the prawns in the centre and arrange the tomatoes around decoratively.
2 To make the dressing: In a jar with a tight-fitting lid combine the fish sauce, brown sugar, spring onion and citrus juice, cover and shake well until the sugar dissolves. Add the pepper, chilli and garlic and shake again. Sprinkle the dressing over the salad and top with the nuts.