Get Creative With Salads
Let’s get creative with salads! Today’s salads have literally burst out of the confines of the plain green salad tossed with dressing and include salads made with fruit, nuts, meats, cheeses, vegetables, fish, poultry, pasta and a plethora of other interesting ingredients. We’ve chosen four distinctly different and delightful salads for this month’s class:

The coming of Spring stimulates our memory of fresh, crisp greens adorned with succulent melons, crunchy toasted nuts or the snap of garden fresh vegetables. With all the possible combinations for salad making, it is important to apply some restraint. Ingredients should be chosen for their unique flavor or texture and their ability to compliment other flavors. Be careful not to lessen the overall effect by adding too many different ingredients to the same salad. Experiment with a few different flavors, the sweetness of caramelized pecans with apple or orange slices or the saltiness of sautéed Pancetta with a tart cheese.

The Difference between Greens

Greens differ greatly in taste, texture and color. Some of the more common are:

Essential Equipment

The most important tools you will need in the preparation of a green salad are a Salad Spinner and a Salad Bowl. A Food Processor is also a great tool for making quick work out of otherwise tedious tasks like chopping cabbage. If you need to purchase these or any kitchen tools, visit the Glutenfreeda shopping mall. You will find virtually every kitchen item available through our affiliate, Cooking.com.

Salad Spinner

The freshest ingredients always make the freshest salads. Take care to buy crisp, greens without spots or wilting. At home, remove the wire ties and clean your greens by washing them gently with cold water, or filling a sink or large bowl with cold water and swishing them around until clean. The next very important step is to properly dry your greens. Proper drying will keep your greens crisp for a longer period of time.

After you have washed your greens and removed all dirt, place the greens in a salad spinner until it is half full. Over filling your spinner will compromise its ability to dry properly. Spin the greens. The greens will be crisp and firm and ready for use.

When you are ready to prepare your green salad, tear the leaves gently into bite size pieces. It is difficult and unattractive to try and eat greens that are much too large for a normal size bite.

Salad Bowls

I’m sure many of us have heard the kitchen secret regarding seasoned salad bowls. "A well-seasoned bowl should never be washed with soap and water, it would somehow destroy the bowls special oils or natural flavor." We have always washed our salad bowls with soap and water and believe that it does nothing to compromise a salad’s flavor and serves to eliminate potential health risks associated with lingering bacteria. Glass or ceramic salad bowls are perfectly fine as well.

If you are serving your salad the same day as you have washed and dried your greens, you can store them in your salad bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare your salad. Place damp paper towels in the bottom of your salad bowl, add the greens and top with more damp paper towels. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap.

Food Processor

The preparation of many vegetables (chopping, sliceing or shreddeding)can be accomplished in a fraction of the time it takes to chop with a knife. Because of the risk of bruising some vegetables, we only recommend using a food processor for certain harder vegetables or cabbage. Do not attempt to chop tomatoes or fruit, as they will be bruised. Most vegetables for salad preparation should be cut carefully with a knife. We used a Food Processor to slice the cabbage used in our Texas Cobb Salad.

Adding Ingredients

Don’t be afraid of experimenting with different and interesting ingredients. Our Cantaloupe with Prosciutto Salad mixes the sweet juicy flavor of cantaloupe with the salty taste of prosciutto. Our Texas Cobb Salad combines several vegetables, tomatoes, onion, jicama, green bell pepper, corn, avocado, even black beans to produce an overall Latin taste.

Many ingredients can be toasted, sautéed or grilled to produce a nuttier taste or to cook poultry, fish or meats before adding to the salad. To make our Field Greens with Pancetta Salad, we toasted the pine nuts and sautéed the pancetta to render the fat and make it crisp.

When adding ingredients, be sure to keep the pieces uniform in size. This not only makes your salad easier to eat, it also evens out the flavors.

Garnishes

Generally we prefer to add garnishes to a salad at the last minute before serving, just after it has been tossed with the dressing. If you are making a green salad, this allows the garnish to cling better to the greens.

Garlic

Our favorite methods of adding the flavor of garlic to a green salad is to cut a garlic clove in half and rub the insides of your salad bowl with the cut garlic and then discard the garlic; or cut a garlic clove in half, (half is usually enough for one salad), and mince the half clove then sprinkle with salt. With the flat side of your knife, press the garlic and salt until it is combined. This will mellow the flavor of garlic. You can add the garlic/salt mix to your dressing for a more subtle garlic flavor.

Other Salad Garnishes

Artichoke Hearts: Marinated in gf vinegar, whole or pieces

Avocados: Sliced

Bacon: Sautéed and crumbled

Beans: Cooked and cooled

Cheese: Sliced or crumbled

Cured Meats: Cooked or sautéed

Dried Fruits Raisins, currants, cranberries, cherries

Eggs: Hard boiled and chopped or shredded

Fish: Smoked or grilled

Fresh Fruit: Orange, Grapefruit, peel and pith removed; mangos, pears, etc.

Fresh Herbs: Torn, whole, or gently sliced

Nuts and Seeds: Toasted in a dry skillet until they release their fragrance

Tomatoes: Sliced vertically and added to individual plates

Gf Croutons: See our recipe in our November 2000 issue

Vegetables: Sliced, shredded, grated or julienne cut into bite size pieces

About Vinaigrettes

Vinaigrettes are made from a combination of oil and acid. Acids are not only vinegars but also citrus juices. Because of the large variety of oils and vinegars available today, the variety in flavor combinations for a vinaigrette is endless.

A very simple and ‘perfect every time’ formula for oil and acid is 3 to 1. 3 oils to 1 acid. You can use this ratio for any oil or acid, including citrus juices.

To make a vinaigrette: Whisk together your acid and whatever seasonings you choose to use in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing thickens. You can also add the vinegar or citrus juice and your seasonings to a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously. Add the oil in three or four additions, shaking between additions. The third way is to add the vinegar or citrus to a blender or food processor and blend, then add the oil in a slow stream until blended and thickened. You can store vinaigrette for up to 2 weeks covered in the refrigerator. Always shake well before using.

Experiment with different oils and vinegars. You will find there are great differences in the effects different types will have on your dressing.

Types of Vinegars that are great on salads:

Balsamic

Red Wine

White Wine

Cider

Rice Wine

Flavored

"The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking", Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, Copyright 1997.

You may purchase the Joy of Cooking on Amazon.com . It is a wonderful cookbook, with an abundance of information. It even has a few gluten-free recipes!