Ode To Salad Season

As the sun begins to warm up our days and nights, we transition from the weightiness of winter, to a lighter, less complicated way of being and salad becomes the mainstay for dinner tables everywhere. For die-hard food lovers, the thought of giving up amazing flavor for a bed of boring lettuce is not our idea of a pleasurable gastronomical experience.

Salads don’t have to be boring, however. As a matter of fact, with some creativity and intrigue to explore the unfamiliar in colors and textures, salad season could easily become your favorite season of the year.

Webster defines salad as, “a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients”.

And lettuce is typically the foundation upon which to build and to add other interesting accompaniments in order to round out the dish.

So, if you are somewhat tame when it comes to experimenting with different flavors and textures and have not quite mastered the art of venturing outside of the unknown, here are a few ways to help you build an exciting, new salad repertoire.

Make it colorful

The law of attraction whether it be to people, places or food always begins with the eyes. To make a feast for the eyes, choose colorful additions for your salad beginning with the colors available in the wide selection of salad greens. Don’t be afraid to mix greens such as kale, butter, spinach, romaine and arugula. In addition to introducing color to the salad each of these varieties also add beautiful texture.

Make it flavorful

Whatever you do, avoid bland, safe salad greens. Instead, taste your salad greens in order to create the perfect blend for your palate. And once you have chosen the perfect blend then venture a bit beyond what you consider safe. For example, arugula has a distinct bite and when things like grilled steak and chicken are added to the salad, your taste buds will sing with excitement.

Make it fragrant

Despite what you might think, salad greens each have their own distinct fragrance. And it is the smell or fragrance that helps to create the notes that determine how flavors blend. Consider adding fruit such as apples, strawberries or peaches to create a symphony of aromas that are sure to please.

Make it interesting

Good food, whether salad or anything else, is at its very best when the cook has taken the time to make it interesting. Interest is created by what you add to the salad such as salad dressings, proteins like fish, meat, pork or even other vegetables. Be sure not to overload your salad with too many different items to avoid one big mess of food items that have no chance of working well together.

Make it unusual

And by unusual I mean, do the unassuming. Spend time at the market to explore things that are new to you. Most markets will allow a sample, if asked, in order to get a sense of what does and does not work for your personal palate and that of your family. International markets that are popping up all over the place are ideal for seeking out the unusual.

Make it simple but make it good

My personal choice is to make whatever I prepare simple, fresh, and exceptionally good in flavor. To achieve this I use lots of herbs, vinegars, wines, mustards and infused oils. Nothing excels in creating the ultimate dish like a well-seasoned piece of fish or meat that is perfectly grilled or roasted add to the perfect mixture of greens and vegetables to create what I refer to as “salad-amazing”. For a heartier dinner salad, for bigger appetites, roasted or grilled potatoes or corn make for a nice addition. Bear in mind too that nothing ruins great salad like too much salad dressing; so keep it light. Remember salad dressings are for complimenting, not overpowering all of the wonderful flavors that are your creation.

Here is the recipe for one of my favorite salads using the first harvest of kale from my garden. Enjoy!

Bonnie’s Spring Kale Salad

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh kale leaves
• 4-6 strawberries
• ½ cup seedless raisins, white or dark
• ¼ cup nuts, pecans or walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 2-3 carrots, roughly shredded
• 1 cup seedless grapes or blueberries, sliced in half
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and cut into chunks
• 2 TBSP extra virgin cold press olive oil
• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
• ¼ – ½ of an onion or one stalk green onion/scallion, optional
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse kale and chop into small pieces.
2. Peel, seed, and dice apples into small chunks.
3. Peel and shred carrots.
4. Cut grapes in half or quarters.
5. Clean and quarter strawberries.
6. If using onion, chop into small pieces.
7. Combine the kale and remaining vegetables in a large salad bowl.
8. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon raw honey. Whisk together.
9. Pour over the salad and toss. Sprinkle nuts on top and toss once again.

For a hearty dinner salad, add grilled fish, shrimp or chicken.

I'm Bonnie McDaniel of Farm Girl In the City™ and I'll be writing on Patch about gardening, cooking, flowers, good living, urban gardening and more!

Connect with me on social media on Twitter and Instagram for your daily dose of food and garden inspiration. You can also find me on Facebook, and check out my blog here. Stay tuned for the publishing of my new cookbook, the first of the Farm Girl In The City series, due out later this year!