Looking fir salad recipes.

[Jasper]

First rule:  Don't use it unless it's fresh.

Second rule:  Don't use it unless it's fresh.

A good salad dressing:  Just mix lemon juice, a bit of salt, olive oil and pepper.   Or paprika, if you have it.

A great way to ruin a salad is to pour the dressing over the top.  Another good way is to not wash the leaves.

Instead, wash the leaves and put the salad into a container with the dressing, and shake it around.  Or hand toss.  Anything else is lame, in my year or so of experience doing salads for a living.

Salads are 60% presentation IMO.  If a salad looks shitty, I usually don't enjoy it.  Put some effort into making your salads pretty.  It helps.

[Nast]

It's also good practice to wash your leaves delicately, so as not to bruise them. And get a good salad spinner, and dry the greens thoroughly in small batches. Even a bit of moisture can make the dressing weak.

[Jenne]

As long as we're talking about "what makes a salad good/work," I've noticed balance is also key.  (Did I already say that ITT?  Having a sense of deja vu here...)  I've had many salads that were waaaay too overpowering with one element or another and it just did NOT taste good.

Also, just say no to BLAND.  Salads should not be BLAND.  EVAR.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

Lately I've been eating salads with just romaine, avocado, salt, and pepper.  I'm not really a big fan of dressing, it makes everything too goopy.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Shrimp Salad

I N G R E D I E N T S
• 1 lemon  • 1 lime  • 6 garlic cloves  • extra virgin olive oil  • 1/2 lb of shrimp  • your favorite lettuce or salad mix

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mince 3 cloves and press 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the lemon and lime juice into a medium sized container, put the garlic in and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Add 3 parts olive oil to 1 part of the combined juice mixture. Shake it very vigorously. Dress salad and add shrimp. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or just dig in.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Another idea:

Quit hating on broccoli, motherfucker.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

Brocolli is terrible as a salad garnish.  Raw, it's too hard and crunchy, cooked it's too soft.

[Triple Zero]

So you steam it instead, or boil it shortly. Though I would not always want the flavour in a salad.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

My problem with broccoli as anything other than plain on the side is it absorbs way too much liquid, causing a very unpleasant mouth explosion when you bite one.  Thanks, I really wanted to eat three tablespoons of dressing right then.


(In case you couldn't tell I have issues with things being too goopy.  Though I love a good curry.  I think it has to do with variations of texture or something, because I can't stand having peanuts on my stir-fry either.)

[Z³]

My favorite salad is a classic, but its hardly healthy.

Salad Lyonnaise

A handful of fresh frisee lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
2 strips bacon
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 Poached egg
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Thats the recipe I found online.
When I make it, I usually recycle a small portion of the bacon grease into the dressing instead of using olive oil.
Cut the bacon into fine bits. Mix the bacon grease/vinegar/dijon together.
Top with the egg.
Enjoy.

[LMNO]

Just made an interesting salad.

Core and thinly slice 1 granny smith apple.
Thinly slice 1/2 a bulb of fennel.  Reserve fronds.

In a bowl, combine:
2 Tb Crème fraiche
2 Tb whole-grain mustard
1 Tb lemon juice
Chopped tarragon
Salt & pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Toss the apple and fennel with the dressing.  Garnish with fronds.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Just made an interesting salad.

Core and thinly slice 1 granny smith apple.
Thinly slice 1/2 a bulb of fennel.  Reserve fronds.

In a bowl, combine:
2 Tb Crème fraiche
2 Tb whole-grain mustard
1 Tb lemon juice
Chopped tarragon
Salt & pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Toss the apple and fennel with the dressing.  Garnish with fronds.

eeeeeeew this sounds goooooooooood

[Jenne]

Just made an interesting salad.

Core and thinly slice 1 granny smith apple.
Thinly slice 1/2 a bulb of fennel.  Reserve fronds.

In a bowl, combine:
2 Tb Crème fraiche
2 Tb whole-grain mustard
1 Tb lemon juice
Chopped tarragon
Salt & pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Toss the apple and fennel with the dressing.  Garnish with fronds.

THIS would've been helpful when my husband insisted on buying a huge bulb of fennel and making it with SOMETHING on Sunday, preferably fish, I told him SALAD.  Oh well, the fish we made was pretty good (had red onion, fennel, vinegar reduction...can't remember the last ingredient.).

[Jenne]

I just made a cilantro-avocado-mango salad (with lime and salt to taste) the other day (to go with the fish, actually).  Twas tasty.

[LMNO]

Which reminds me, I have to roast the other half of the head for salads.