Chapter 3

1. Chapter 3 Salads

2. Chapter Objectives • Recognize and discuss the place of salad in culinary history • Identify specific salad green in categories such as mild greens, spicy greens, bitter greens or chicories, prepared mixes of greens, herbs and flowers and micro greens • Describe how to care for salad greens • Explain how to dress and garnish the salad • Understand the role of side salads • Formulate a description of composed salads

3. Salads in Culinary History • Fresh concoctions of seasoned herbs and lettuces, known as herba salata, were enjoyed by Romans and Greeks • Romans are responsible for the word salad, deriving from their word for “salt” • Early European settlers of America valued salad greens

4. Three Major Salad Categories • Green salads • Side salads, made from vegetables, potatoes, grains, pastas, legumes, and fruits • Composed salads

5. Green Salads • Salad green categories: • Mild greens • Spicy greens • Bitter greens or chicories • Prepared mixes of greens • Herbs and flowers • Micro greens

6. Mild Greens • Biggest category is lettuce • Lettuce classifications: • Leaf • Butterhead • Crisphead • Include mâche, some young, immature spicy greens and baby varieties of some cooking greens and cabbages

7. Bitter Greens and Chicories • Tender enough to be eaten in salads • Also sautéed, steamed, grilled, or braised • Selection criteria and handling procedure similar to that of lettuce • When young, chicories can be used in salads, but are cooking greens when more mature

8. Spicy Greens • Distinct pepperiness or assertive flavor • Still mild enough to eat in salads • The younger they are, the less spicy they will be.

9. Prepared Mixes of Greens • Convenient, prewashed and trimmed mixes of greens • Ready availability and ease have made them very popular

10. Herbs • Leaves of aromatic plants used to add flavor food • Quality indicators: • Aroma • Good color (usually green) • Healthy looking leaves and stems • No wilting, brown spots, sunburn or pest damage

11. Herbs • Herbs to be used in salads that have a naturally tender texture or soft leaves: • Young basil • Chives • Small mint leaves • Pluches of chervil • Pluches of flat-leaf parsley

12. Flowers • Should not be overused • Important to note size and flavor • Edible flowers divided into two groups: • Garden flowers • Herb flowers

13. Examples: Bachelor’s buttons Carnations Dianthus Johnny jump-ups Marigolds/calendula Nasturtiums Pansies Popcorn shoots Roses Snap dragons Violets Garden Flowers

14. Examples: Anise hyssop Chive Lavender Mustard Oregano Rosemary Sage Thyme Herb Flowers

15. Microgreens • Seedlings of various herbs, greens and vegetables • Most are grown hydroponically in plug flats and snipped as they grow • Flavors are milder than their full-grown counterparts • Used as part of a salad mix, in compsed salads or as a garnish

16. Examples: Arugula Beet top/Bull’s blood Celery Cilantro Mustard Pea shoot Purple or pink orach Radish Red Garnet Amaranth Red cabbage Microgreens

17. Care for Salad Greens • Wash greens thoroughly in plenty of cool water to remove all traces of dirt and sand • Dry greens completely • Store cleaned greens in tubs or other containers • Cut or tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces

18. Side Salads • Types: • Vegetable salads • Potato salads • Pasta and grain salads • Legume salads • Fruit salads

19. Vegetable Salads • If vegetables are raw, combine with dressing and rest long enough to allow flavors to “marry” • When vegetables are partially or fully cooked you can either: • Drain vegetables and combine with dressing while they are still warm for faster flavor absorption (good for root vegetables); or • Refresh and chill vegetables before adding the dressing (good for green vegetables to avoid discoloration)

20. Potato Salads • Potatoes should be cooked completely, but not overcooked • Waxy potatoes hold their shape better than starchy potatoes • Combine potatoes and dressing while potatoes are still warm • Dressing is typically brought to a simmer before potatoes are added for the best finished flavor

21. Pasta and Grain Salads • Grains and pastas should be fully cooked, but not overcooked • Grains and pasta will absorb liquid in the dress and can quickly become soggy • Have a tendency to go flat in flavor if they sit

22. Legume Salads • Dried beans should be cooked until tnder to the bite and allowed to cool in their own cooking liquid • Different beans should be cooked separately • Beans will not soften any further if they sit in dressing • Acid in dressing will make beans tougher so they should not be dressed and allowed to sit for long periods of time

23. Fruit Salads • Bases for fruit salads should be made from the least perishable fruits: cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple • More perishable fruits can be added at last minute, in smaller batches or as garnishes • Fruits that turn brown can be treated with fruit juice to keep them from oxidizing

24. Composed Salads • Made by carefully arranging items on a plate • A “main item” is often set on a bed of greens • The salad is garnished and dressed

25. Composed Salads • Some principles for composed salads: • Consider how well each of the elements combine. • Repetition of a color or flavor can be successful if it contributes to the overall dish, but too much of a good thing is simply too much. • All of the components of the plate should be capable of standing alone. • Components should be arranged in such a way that the textures and colors of the foods are most attractive to the eye.

26. Warm Salads • Known in French as salade tiéde. • Made by: • Tossing salad ingredients in a warm dressing, working over moderate to low heat until salad is jut warmed through; or • Use a chilled, crisp salad as the bed for hot main items.