How to Create Interesting Salads
By Marci Lutsky
My farm share at B&B Farms began two weeks ago. This is my third year of having a farm share there and it seems to get better and better each year. Early in the season, my weekly pickup is very heavy on the greens. Last week I received arugula, kale, chard and spinach. Luckily my family and I never tire of salads. If you find yourself with an abundance of greens in your garden or farm share, here are some helpful tips for making salads interesting so that you don’t get sick of greens by July.
When it comes to salad, the key besides fresh ingredients is having a good dressing. I don’t mean you should scour the dressing aisle of the supermarket. While you might have a favorite bottled dressing, I strongly encourage you to make your own. It will taste way fresher than anything you could buy and with ingredients you can pronounce. I typically make one big batch of salad dressing a week and reach for it whenever I have greens that need a topping. A favorite with kids is buttermilk ranch dressing which you can make very quickly using buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic and fresh herbs from your garden. Another favorite in my house is a simple herb vinaigrette. I will add fresh basil from my garden to olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Give it a quick whisk or whirl in the blender for an easy and delicious dressing. Occasionally I will add Dijon mustard and some honey for a little change in taste. Miso (soybean paste), tahini and rice vinegar are some other ingredients I like to play around with in my dressings.
Next you need to decide what to add to your salad. If you are serving the salad to kids, I highly recommend investing in a spiralizer because kids love veggie noodles. When I put spiralized beets, squash, carrots, cucumbers or sweet potatoes in my salads, my kids will not only eat it, but most of the time will ask for seconds.
What else can you add to your salads to make them interesting? The options are endless. I almost always add avocado because my daughter runs on avocados. Since we don’t eat meat in our house, I usually add beans to our salads for extra protein. I always have garbanzo beans and edamame on hand. I like some crunch in my salads and usually I get this from sunflower seeds (roasted chickpeas are always great for crunch too). If you like a little sweetness to your salads, add fruit! Orange segments or chopped apples are great as are dried fruits like cranberries. Crumbled cheese is a great addition too, with feta being my favorite.
Salad should be anything but boring. If you find yourself with an abundance of local greens this summer, you are so lucky! Make a great salad dressing and enjoy a bowl of freshness. You can find salad inspiration on my blog, Vegging at the Shore. I love hearing from readers so let me know what is your favorite way to eat salad!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
