June was salad month - green salads, pasta salads, fruit salads, whatever. (Remember, you can always post recipes that don't fit any given month or post monthly-themed recipes even in other months... like the next month... Just sayin'...)
Now, my definition of salad growing up was rather small. You had your lettuce as a base, and some kind of (probably Kraft) salad dressing to go on top. And sometimes that was it. Otherwise, toppings might include cherry tomatoes, big tomato wedges, cucumbers, carrot slices, chopped celery, Vidalia onions, maybe some peas... You know, other vegetables.*
The first time I saw a salad (might've been a Cobb salad...) that had cheese? hard-boiled egg? and ham? was just strange! Those weren't vegetables! What were they doing on a salad? And how would it taste?
Just fine, thank you very much. Just fine! In fact, YUM!
I'm still not much of one to make or eat a main dish salad - one with meat/cheese/chickpeas/protein of some kind or that's all gussied up with thematic ingredients (Asian chicken salad with chow mein noodles & mandarin oranges, I'm looking at you!), but that's often 'cuz I just don't think of salads that way. Not that I don't enjoy them; I just never think of them.
But hey, how about you? What constitutes a "salad" in your head? Or what's your favorite topping(s) to throw on a salad? Conversely, what do folks put on salads that is just plain wrong in your book? Is there a special, super-good salad at a restaurant out there that you ALWAYS order when you go? Let's talk salads!
*Exception to that definition of "salad" was the Midwest classic 7-layer salad, but that was special! It had BACON! :) (And is something I still love to this very day.)
It's Time
1 year ago
2 comments:
During the winter especially, when decent fruits and veggies are scarce, Puck and I frequently add Caesar salad to whatever meal we're having. Romaine, Newman's Own Caesar dressing, fresh grated parmsan, ground pepper, and Puck's homemade croutons (we just store 'em in the freezer until it's time to throw a handful on the salad).
During garden season we're more likely to do traditional green salads topped with whatever veggies are popping out of the ground. But yeah, I have very traditional notions of what makes up a salad, and I almost never do main course salads.
Salads ALWAYS taste better to me when someone else has made it. :) We do meal salads occasionally- especially in the spring/summer, usually it's a chicken Caesar salad or a chicken "ranch" (lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon(!), cukes, carrots, or whatever with ranch dressing) If I am really on a roll, the chicken is leftover from a previous meal.
And I LOVE a good strawberry spinach salad (like the one at Pannera).
I really like salads, even though I don't like tomatoes on them :) I much prefer chicken over ham, and I am not crazy about eggs on there either. And I don't normally like blue cheese, but on an apple, walnut, spinach salad it is so good!
Attila refers to all lettuce as "salad" - even if it's plain and on a taco or something, it's "salad" ;)
Sorry this comment is so rambling with no real point. thank you, my name is Jen.
Post a Comment