Chapter 3
Salads
Chapter Objectives
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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
Salads in Culinary History
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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
Three Major Salad Categories
1)
2)
3)
Green salads
Side salads, made from vegetables,
potatoes, grains, pastas, legumes, and
fruits
Composed salads
Green Salads
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Salad green categories:
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Mild greens
Spicy greens
Bitter greens or chicories
Prepared mixes of greens
Herbs and flowers
Micro greens
Mild Greens
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Biggest category is lettuce
Lettuce classifications:
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Leaf
Butterhead
Crisphead
Include mâche, some young, immature
spicy greens and baby varieties of some
cooking greens and cabbages
Bitter Greens and Chicories
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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
Spicy Greens
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Distinct pepperiness or assertive flavor
Still mild enough to eat in salads
The younger they are, the less spicy
they will be.
Prepared Mixes of Greens
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Convenient, prewashed and trimmed
mixes of greens
Ready availability and ease have made
them very popular
Herbs
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Leaves of aromatic plants used to add
flavor food
Quality indicators:
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Aroma
Good color (usually green)
Healthy looking leaves and stems
No wilting, brown spots, sunburn or pest
damage
Herbs
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Herbs to be used in salads that have a
naturally tender texture or soft leaves:
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Young basil
Chives
Small mint leaves
Pluches of chervil
Pluches of flat-leaf parsley
Flowers
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Should not be overused
Important to note size and flavor
Edible flowers divided into two
groups:
1)
2)
Garden flowers
Herb flowers
Garden Flowers
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Examples:
Bachelor’s buttons
Carnations
Dianthus
Johnny jump-ups
Marigolds/calendula
Nasturtiums
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Pansies
Popcorn shoots
Roses
Snap dragons
Violets
Herb Flowers
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Examples:
Anise hyssop
Chive
Lavender
Mustard
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Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Microgreens
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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
Microgreens
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Examples:
Arugula
Beet top/Bull’s blood
Celery
Cilantro
Mustard
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Pea shoot
Purple or pink orach
Radish
Red Garnet
Amaranth
Red cabbage
Care for Salad Greens
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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
Side Salads
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Types:
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Vegetable salads
Potato salads
Pasta and grain salads
Legume salads
Fruit salads
Vegetable Salads
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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:
1)
2)
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)
Potato Salads
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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
Pasta and Grain Salads
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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
Legume Salads
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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
Fruit Salads
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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
Composed Salads
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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
Composed Salads
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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.
Warm Salads
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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.