Salads

Salad Dressings A dressing is a sauce for a salad It should complement rather than mask the flavor of the other ingredients Many ingredients can be used to make salad dressings Most are made of oil and vinegar mixture called a vinaigrette, or a mayonnaise or other emulsified product

Vinaigrette Dressing Vinaigrette is a temporary emulsion of oil and vinegar seasoned with salt and pepper The standard ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar Vinaigrette dressings can be emulsified with whole eggs

Mayonnaise-based Mayonnaise-based dressings are salad dressing that use mayonnaise as a base, with other ingredients added for flavor, color, and texture Other ingredients commonly added to mayonnaise-based salad dressings include: dairy products, vinegar, fruit juice, vegetables, tomato paste, garlic, onions, herbs, spices, condiments, capers, anchovies, and boiled eggs *Emulsion: a uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids; it is often temporary

Freshness The ingredients in salad should be as fresh as possible Crisp greens by placing in ice water Drain well and pat dry with paper towels Best to wash just before use Handle greens as little as possible Never freeze

Color Choose vegetables that will provide a variety of color to the salad Increases aesthetics and nutrition

Texture Choose vegetables that will give a variety of texture Crunchy Soft Smooth Rough

Preparing and serving Ingredients should be well-drained and cut into convenient sizes Prepare and dress just before serving Creativity and presentation can improve eye-appeal Tossed Layered Bound