Okay, I have a few Thanksgiving entries to make, but nothing huge. Mostly an entry with a photo or two, and to tell you all about our two new recipes.
For the moment, though, I’m here to ask a question. I need help. Help with salads. Or even just the green things that go into salads.
Bill and I, as we’ve mentioned, are members of a CSA most of the year here. This year, it started in mid-April and will last until mid-December. It’s pretty darn good for us, and it results in our having a lot of food that’s healthful for us around & to be eaten.
The downside, though, is lettuces. Lots and lots of lettuce. Lettuce invades our home, takes over our fridge and makes us crazy. Also, it lasts a surprisingly looooooong time, presumably due to the freshness.
Guys, I need help here. I need suggestions on how to make tasty salads that won’t bore me to tears. Or ways to cook all our lettuce (and lettuce type things) in new ways.
I’d love suggestions on what you keep in your pantry or fridge or freezer for salads. Nuts, maybe? Or point me at a website that does that whole “Here’s three columns. Pick your lettuce, then add two from column A, one from column B and a sprinkling of column C and you’re assured something interesting and neat.”
Really, what veggies do you put in your salad? I just made one that basically didn’t suck, but it wasn’t grand. Radishes (from the CSA), carrots (from the market – yes, they are still crisp & good, weirdly), lettuce, balsamic vinegarette dressing (not homemade) and dried zante currants.
Help!
Roasted beets, nuts, and goat cheese is my favorite. I do a lot of taco salads using vegetarian ground beef substitute, tomatoes, avocado, whatever other veggies are in the fridge. I can eat that for days. I will also cook up lentils, quinoa, or beans and throw those on top of spinach or lettuce with whatever dressing I have in the fridge. I am not a big fan of greens so throwing leftovers like a piece of salmon with some dressing over the top of them is kinda my sneaky way of getting them into my diet. Not super culinary, but I hope that helps a bit.
I never thought about cooking up lentils or such to just have on hand to spruce up salads. That’s not a bad idea. Thanks!
Like you, I’m not a fan of greenery, in general. I have to trick or force myself into eating them. Hence my problems these days.
I like to do spinach salad with tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, grilled chicken and croutons on top, and my ever favorite ranch dressing 🙂
I love me some ranch dressing too, you know it. I think it kind of makes Bill gag. He never touches the stuff.
I pick a cheese or meat, a dressing, nuts or dried berries, and then the veggies to go with it.
Blue cheese, olive oil/vinegar, dried cranberries are great with lettuce, bell peppers, sprouts, shredded carrots.
Do you tend to have a lot of different veggies on hand?
Right now, I tend to have whatever I get in my CSA + whatever I buy for explicit meals, since I’m not great at planning a meal from what I have on hand. You know, like lots of good cooks?
Right now “on hand” veggies are largely radishes, carrots, turnips, potatoes. Yay, roots. Lettuces and some winter squash. It’s a little rough going.
Blue cheese, toasted walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette (4tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp dijon, 3tbsp balsamic, salt and pepper). Also good if you sub in raspberry vinegar and mix in a teaspoon or two of raspberry jam. Dried cranberries are good in this salad, though I would avoid Craisins as they were recently recalled. *grin* Fried prosciutto is always good, especially when paired with a tart, dry cheese like feta. Parmesan crisps are excellent (and easy): http://therecipereader.com/parmesan-crisps-keller.htm. A small amount of parsley or dill can completely change the character of a salad, as well. After that, my all-time favorite salad topping is a mixture of chopped boiled eggs and sunflower seeds. Meals that we eat with salads are typically seared confited duck legs or skirt steak, the latter sliced thin against the grain, served over 3-4 cups of dressed greens. If you have rocket, try it on a skirt steak sandwich (requires a good baguette sliced into 6-8″ lengths, hallowed out and smeared with creme fraiche, sprinkled with pepper and salt).
Hee! I heard about the craisins recall. I haven’t had dried cranberries around in awhile (not counting the craisins a friend brought over specifically to make cookies to take to her work).
Anyway, your comment kind of makes me drool, though I’ve never had confited duck on it’s own. Once in a killer lentil soup, and once deep-fried & added to an American version of poutine, but that’s it. I’m super curious about it.
Thanks!