BVR: Salads (Info)

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Salads (Info)

 

Recipe By : Martha Rose Shulman, The Best Vegetarian Recipes

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : 2 Salads 0 Info and Techniques

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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-- Salads --

 

The recipes in this chapter are, for the most part, salads that can

start or end a meal, or be eaten as a side dish. There are also

main-dish salads, such as Black-Eyed Peas with Cumin Vinaigrette and

Wheat Berry Salad. Whether they are part of a meal or the meal itself,

what all of these dishes have in common is a fresh, vibrant character,

the result of contrasting textures, the use of fresh herbs, and the

choice of fresh produce in season tossed with just the right amount of

tangy dressing. The range of ingredients you can use is endless. Most

salads are based on lettuces, and today's markets offer you a wide

choice. But other vegetables - potatoes, beets, broccoli - also wear

dressings very well. More substantial salads can be made with beans,

grains, and eggs.

 

As clothes make the man, a dressing can define a salad. It's important

that the ingredients in your dressing be of highest quality. Olive oil

should be extra virgin, walnut oil should taste of walnuts. Explore

other nutty oils, such as roasted peanut oil and Asian sesame oil, an

ingredient used in Asian dishes. As for vinegars, I use sherry vinegar

for most of my salads, but a good red wine vinegar can also be used. For

some salads, Asian rice vinegar is appropriate. Balsamic vinegar is

another ingredient I use in dressings, but I usually use it in

combination with more acidic vinegars, so the dressing won't be too

sweet. Lemon or lime juice replace vinegar or is used in conjunction

with it in some dressings for a tangy citrusy flavor that doesn't have

the bite of vinegar.

 

The simplest ingredients can be transformed into a salad. If I have a

can of chickpeas, some vinegar, olive oil, and garlic on hand, I have

the makings for a salad. Red bell peppers, roasted or raw, broccoli,

cucumbers, and romaine lettuce are all good keepers and can be

transformed easily into salads. Stale bread is never thrown away, but

sliced, rubbed with garlic cloves, and added to lettuces and other

vegetables (especially tomatoes) to soak up the dressing and add

pungency and crunch to the dish. Other leftovers in my refrigerator -

cooked vegetables and grains, beans, and pasta - will see their way into

a salad with a tart and luscious dressing long before they're ready to

be thrown out.

 

Source: Martha Rose Shulman, The Best Vegetarian Recipes, 2001

Typed and MC Formatted by Eruna Schultheiss

 

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