Salad Days

No matter where you live, or what produce is available in your markets year round, nothing tastes so good as local fresh fruits and vegetables, and the best time to enjoy this bounty is the middle of summer, the height of the growing season. Everything seems to ripen at once, and the perfect way to enjoy it all is to make salads combining several ingredients.  These cold salads are the ideal solutions to dinner planning on hot summer days. The neatest thing about salads is that they’re so open to adaptation, innovation and interpretation. Nearly any salad can be modified to accommodate the ingredients on hand, most allergies and individual taste. They can also be altered to fit most budgets. In fact, often one salad recipe can range from expensive to economical just by changing price categories of the ingredients.

Salad Nicoise is an example of this. The basic components, circularly arranged separately on a platter, are tuna (Europeans use anchovies), lettuce for bedding, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, black olives, quartered or halved hard boiled eggs and dressing.  On the high end, I have had it served with thin slices of seared tuna, or thicker grilled tuna steaks in chunks, Bibb lettuce, fresh whole green beans, cherry tomatoes and tiny new red skin potatoes with only a band peeled around the middle. Recently, I went to a catered graduation party, and saw the tuna used was solid white canned, garnished with capers, the potatoes were halved small Eastern, and I was told the beans, though whole, were frozen.  At a covered dish supper, I saw the economy version. It was canned chunk tuna, garnished with chopped dill pickles, iceberg lettuce, quartered tomatoes, frozen cut green beans, and canned whole potatoes.  Now all of these elements are interchangeable, and the taste comparable, because the ingredients are basically the same and the dressing is always the same.  So this is an example of a salad that can be adjusted to any price range. The recipe for the salad and the dressing are listed below, as is the recipe for a variation, Tuscan Tuna & Bean Salad which has a similar taste, but is based on beans and served from a bowl.

Another salad open to price and preference adaptation is Chef’s Salad. The very name implies that each person who makes it does so by individual whim, even using different dressings, from vinaigrettes to creamed ones.  It can be made with any lettuce, or combination of lettuces, with elective additions of onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, even green beans, and pieces of ham, cheese and optionally turkey or chicken. Obviously the choice of ingredients determines the price of the meal. So this salad too, becomes an excellent choice for a summer dinner, whether for entertaining, or a weekday supper, and it’s so open to interpretation that it needs no recipe.

There are other main course salads which, with ingredient variations, can retain basic character while becoming price effective. Shrimp Louis is one of these. Classically it is large shrimp and quartered hard boiled eggs served on a bed of Romaine lettuce with Lamaise sauce (recipe below).  For an inexpensive weekday meal, or quick lunch, substitute imitation crab for the shrimp and add chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber. I like some slivered onions or a handful of chopped fresh chives added too. Other lettuces can be used and bottled Russian or Thousand Island dressing will do. This is a quick, easy, economical, and, with the cucumber, a surprisingly refreshing dish on a hot day.

Traditionally, beef salads are intended to showcase slices of tender cuts, raw or just seared, usually, filet mignon. With beef prices on the rise, filet, in fact steak generally, has become a solo entrée, and it’s now important to find ways to utilize leftovers even to stretch them.  Stews and casseroles are the winter solutions and for years salads have been the perfect answer for summer.  One recipe I found was from the old Astor Hotel, which preceded the Waldorf-Astoria. These salads exist in all cuisines, but are so universally similar in construction, that it’s simpler, here, to outline the basic procedure and list various options, than to fill pages with recipes.  First the meat is always thinly sliced, sometimes julienned but not cubed and presented on a bed of fresh dressed or marinated greens and/or vegetables and usually finished with a second dressing. Occasionally, for ease of serving and presentation, the beef is en gelee, or aspic. The simplest way to achieve this is to chill it covered in canned jellied consommé, with, optionally, a tablespoon of Port or Sherry added.  Long braising, such as pot roasting, tenderizes beef, but, otherwise, the more it’s cooked the tougher beef becomes. (See the Hand Chart available on my book website dinnerswithjoy.com)  Left over roast ends or steaks have improved flavor and texture if marinated with the bedding vegetables. If using fresh meat, such as braciuolini, or minute steaks, be sure you check the cut of origin for tenderness and don’t overcook. Cheese garni can replace the second dressing or accompany it. The most frequently used cheeses are Parmesan, Blue and Feta. I have listed proportions and recipes for a marinade, and some finishing dressings below.

Chicken or Turkey are other popular choices for summer dinner salads. Always pre-cooked, both can be served in chunks or slices, and used in salads that range from high to low in every category, cuisine, labor, and price. Two of my favorite “go-tos”, especially for leftovers,  are:

• CHICKEN and GRAPE SALAD—Serves 2
  1 cup Large cubes of meat
  1 cup seedless grapes, halved—I like red for the color
   1/3 cup thin celery slices
  ½ cup equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream
  1 tsp. curry powder or 1 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs to taste.

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Combine everything well. Chill and serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with grapes and herbs.

• BERRY CHICKEN SALAD—Serves 2
  1 cup bite size pieces of meat
  2 Tbs. craisons
  2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
  ¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese
  At least 4 cups of Bibb, Iceberg, Romaine or other salad lettuce in bite sized pieces
  ½ Tbs. olive oil
  @3 Tbs. Raspberry vinaigrette
  Toss the greens with the oil, then layer the meat, craisons and nuts over them. Pour the vinaigrette over and top with the cheese. Toss and serve at the table

 

For the past decade or more, chefs have delighted in featuring boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or tenders, and turkey cutlets in salads. Grilled or sautéed, they’re sliced and laid over beds of greens, vegetables, grains like buglur, pasta like couscous or combinations of them, with a huge variety of herbs, spices and other seasoning agents like zest, used as rubs, ingredients in the actual salad or in the dressings.  The point is, the chefs use their imaginations, and you should too. Read some recipes to get ideas, decide what appeals to your taste and go for it! If you don’t want to cook, leftovers or Deli roasted work. If you have trouble concocting a dish, try putting a bit of the spice or herb of your choice on a little leftover meat and microwaving it for 30secs. Testing a bit of raw meat will take a few seconds longer. If it tastes right, go on and build the salad.

Beans are as comfortable in summer salads as they are in winter casseroles. A few weeks ago, in a blog I wrote on sides, I mentioned how easy it was to toss a can of any beans, rinsed, with chopped raw vegetables like tomatoes, onions, celery, spinach and steamed ones like green beans, broccoli,, Brussels Sprouts, kale with a vinaigrette dressing. I like some cumin sprinkled inn too. In hot weather, this dish can replace baked beans with hot dogs for a dinner. It can be a one-dish dinner with the addition of cubes of ham, chicken or corned beef. In fact, I have a friend from Texas who serves what she calls a Taco Salad and it’s delicious. The recipe she gave me is:

TEXAS TACO SALAD: Serves 4
(1) 16oz can of kidney, pinto or black beans –rinsed
1 medium tomato in large dice
1 Avocado in large dice
1 small onion chopped
1 rib celery sliced
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup ripe olives sliced
½ lb. of very lean ground beef cooked and drained OR 2 cups cooked chicken OR 2 cups cooked julienned beef.
½ head roughly chopped iceberg lettuce
@5oz. tortilla chips-in large pieces
½ cup shredded sharp cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup Salsa—degree of heat to taste
1Tbs oil
Mix the sour cream, salsa and oil to make a dressing. Toss dressing with first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in chips and garnish with the cheese.

While on the subject of bean salads, here’s the Tuscan Tuna&Bean Salad recipe:
TUSCAN TUNA&BEAN SALAD: Serves 2-3
(1)16oz. can white beans rinsed
(1)6oz. can solid white tuna -drained
Dressing:
1 Tbs. concentrated lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. dried basil OR 3 Tbs. chopped fresh leaves
Salt and pepper to taste.
Lettuce for bedding
2 tomatoes in wedges – at least 4 wedges per serving
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a salad bowl. Add the tuna and beans and toss well. Serve on beds of lettuce with tomato wedges on the side.

PROPORTIONING:

One outstanding feature of cold dinner salads even the gourmet ones, is that they call for smaller amounts of individual ingredients, especially meat, per serving than most other entrée dishes. Even casseroles usually require a 1lb. of meat per recipe for 4 servings. These salads, on average, ask for a total of ½ to ¾ cup vegetables per serving and only ½ cup cooked or 1 to 2 oz. of sliced meat per serving. This translates to 6oz of meat easily serving 4 people, which even using an expensive cut is economical.

These proportions also mean that for a chef’s salad 1/8 lb each of ham, cheese, chicken or turkey, or about ½ cup each will serve 4.  This is a saving at the Deli counter for an easy meal on a busy night.

Seafood proportions are a bit different.   I don’t mention crab, because there are so many grades, and the texture and taste are so delicate that it’s best served by itself with a bland dressing. Lobster, too, is best presented alone, not tossed or mixed. The beauty of buying shrimp for the Louis Salad, or anything else, is that it’s sold by the number per pound. So you can decide how many you want per portion by size. My advice is to choose ones that don’t need to be cut to eat, but aren’t lost in the lettuce, 26-30per lb. is great! For the salad using the “imitation” crab or lobster in a Louis dressing, 1/2 lb. of meat and one small cucumber, peeled, seeded, quartered and sliced will serve 4, using ½ head of iceberg lettuce.

For the salad Nicoise, if using fresh tuna, the quantities are the same as for meat.  I tend to disagree with recipes using canned tuna that dictate up to 6 servings for one 6oz can. I figure on 2 or 3. The vegetables for any version should equal what you would consider a normal serving per person if serving a plated entrée.  For the versions using canned tuna:  PLEASE NOTE, whatever canned TUNA recipes you use, the CANS ARE NOW 5oz NOT 6oz, and adjust accordingly for any tuna recipes you make.

The reason the salads can be so sparing with other ingredients is that the chief, though not the featured one, is the lettuce, or bedding greens. These can vary from expensive to common place, but they constitute the major portion of the salad, replacing the grain or pasta base of a casserole, and are surprisingly just as satisfying and filling, especially in hot weather. That’s why it’s very, very important that they be cold, crisp and fresh. The dressing may define the salad, but the bedding greens not only spread the dressing through it but also are responsible for appearance, hence appeal and texture.

Salads are, literally, what you make them.  Just use your imagination. In fact most sandwiches, with a few additions can become dinner salads—think turkey club, without bread and more lettuce. Then highlight your creation with a dressing and you can become a star at dinner. Many of these salads can be served all year to family, just add a cup of soup, as well as to guests. They’re excellent for luncheons and buffets.

 The dressings outlined below are basic classics. They can be used as cited or for other dishes, or altered to fit your creations! Have Fun!!!

Nicoise Dressing:  6 servings
4Tbs. minced shallots – or mild onions
2Tbs. dry mustard – 4 of Dijon can be used
5 drops of hot sauce
5Tbs red wine vinegar
3Tbs fresh lemon juice  – 4tsp. of concentrated  will do
2 ½ cups salad oil.
1 Tbs. dried Tarragon or to taste
Mix the ingredients well and allow to meld for several hours. Drizzle a little over the Tuna, and serve the rest on the side.

Lamaise Dressing:  4 servings
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. ketchup – can be all ketchup
2 Tbs. chili sauce – can be all chili sauce
1 drop hot sauce
¼ tsp Mace- or to taste
Mix very well and spoon some over salad as serving, the rest on the side

Vinaigrette Marinade for Beef Salad: 6 Servings
2 sliced onions-separated into rings
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
4 Tbs. capers
¼ tsp. mustard powder OR 1tsp. prepared mustard
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp dried
2tsp. chopped fresh tarragon OR 1tsp. dried
2 tsp. chopped fresh chives (optional)
Tabasco sauce and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cups of julienne roast beef—if taste is desired or meat needs tenderizing
Combine all ingredients. Allow to stand at room temperature for 3 hrs. Chill overnight, toss and serve on a bed of lettuce, optionally topped with 1lb. boiled, sliced potatoes.

Blue Cheese Dressing for Beef Salad: Serves 4
1/2 cup Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese at room temperature—1 Tbs. reserved
whisk the cheese and vinaigrette until well combined. This salad is recommended served with 1lb. boiled new potatoes sliced over 2 heads of Bibb lettuce, topped with 4oz. thinly sliced very rare beef.

Horseradish Dressing for Beef Salad: Yield 1 cup-Serves 4
1/3 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
3Tbs. prepared horseradish
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. light cream or half and half if needed to smooth
Salt and pepper to taste
This dressing is best with some steamed vegetables, green beans, broccoli, carrots  added to the lettuce base. Mix them well with about ¼ cup of the dressing then top with @4oz of sliced or julienned cooked beef. Drizzle dressing over the top and pass the rest.