Let's Talk Salad

I'm on a serious green kick. So, today, it's no wonder that I want to talk about salads. Growing up, a salad was a serving of various vegetables—iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and if you were lucky, maybe a radish or two. And truth be told, when I throw together a salad, especially in the winter, I'm not much more creative. Last night I made Chicken Cacciatore, but by the time I was finished preparing it, I scrambled for a side. I quickly dressed some baby spinach and shredded carrots and voila. Not very exciting mind you, but a good quick, and healthy, salad nonetheless.

When I have the time, and when I know I'll be making a salad for a crowd, I love to get creative. Mixing greens, adding vegetables like broccoli or diced asparagus, tossing in roasted or candied nuts, and combining shredded chicken, and a variety of fruits, can turn an ordinary salad into a meal all its own. In fact, we often have our version of Chicken Salad for dinner, especially as the weather grows warmer.

The salad you see above is offered at the Portsmouth Gas Light Co., here in Portsmouth, NH. To recreate it, simply gather a collection of mixed greens, add dried cherries, candied pecans, and finish it with a sherry vinaigrette, and herbed farmers' cheese.

Here are just some of the ingredients you could use to make a delicious signature salad: avocado, onions, heirloom tomatoes, beets, celery, English cucumber, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, olives, scallions, peppers, shrimp, eggs, chicken, fish, beef, bacon, dried fruits, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, pear, pomegranate, tangerines, almonds, walnuts, pecans...

What are some of your favorite salad combinations? Do you have a favorite dressing?

Here are some other recipes you may enjoy...

Frisee Salad with Bacon
Kale Caesar Salad
Farro Salad
Quinoa and Berries BBQ Chicken Salad
Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad
Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad

Photo: Mrtindc