A Season for Salads

by Megan Thomas

Throw away your salad stigma. Dismiss the notion of salad as rabbit food. Say goodbye to the lingering memory of salad as clear iceberg lettuce haphazardly garnished with a few sorry tomatoes.

As appetizers, main courses and even desserts, salads are beautiful, flavorful and desirable dishes. The myriad of fresh greens, fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers invites you to experiment with an array of culinary possibilities surrounding salads this summer.

Whether dining at home or at one of the many restaurants around the Wood River Valley, explore the endless possibility of salads.

Begin with your choice of salad greens. Venture beyond iceberg, spinach or green leaf. Build a salad from arugula, orach or mizuna.

Feeling more adventurous? How about sampling lollo rossa or rouge d’hiver?

These seemingly exotic greens can be found at local grocery stores, weekly farmers’ markets, community gardens and nearby farms, as well as restaurants. Each of these greens adds a unique flavor, color, shape and nutritional content. All are easy to grow and flourish in our mountain climate.

The choice of greens will likely be the easiest decision. The abundance of fresh produce throughout the summer invites you to experiment with the exciting potential of salads. Salads take on unique personalities with the addition of fresh fruits, vibrant vegetables, locally grown herbs, flavorful cheeses and even edible flowers.

Edible flowers add an exotic edge to summer salads. Flowers such as nasturtium, violets, borage and dandelions can be eaten in their entirety. The first three sweeten salads, while dandelions add a bitter flair. To increase flavor and liven up a salad, add flower blossoms or scatter their petals. The addition of edible flowers combined with ripe fruits, vegetables and greens invites the beauty of summer gardens indoors at mealtime.

While experimenting with new greens or edible flowers, don’t forget the ultimate classic among salad lovers, the Caesar salad. The Caesar salad has long been popular with American diners, although its origins still eludes most of its fans.

Many quickly assume the salad originated in Italy or assume the All-American salad simply came from the United States. Ironically, the recipe for this favorite salad emerged from Tijuana, Mexico.

During the 1920s after an influx of diners, Tijuana café owner Caesar Cardini found himself short of food for his patrons. Ingeniously, Cardini threw together crispy Romaine lettuce and left over bread and eggs, which he tossed with olive oil dressing and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The American tourists loved the chef’s creation, requested the recipe recreated north of the border and the Caesar salad became a classic.

For a new twist to an old favorite, pair the salad with protein. Salmon, shrimp, crab, chicken and duck all complement the taste of a Caesar.
Celebrate the creative salad genius Cardini. Sample a Caesar and experiment with new greens, fruits, vegetables, and edible flowers. During this summer—a season of salads— you too may discover a sensational salad destined to become
a classic.