Salads and Garnishes

Four Basic Parts of Salad Base Usually formed with leafy greens Body Main ingredient of salad Garnish Decorative, edible item added to enhance the appearance Dressing Adds flavor and moisture – holds it together

Salad Vegetables Bulbs - Beets, onions, scallions Celery – mild & crisp Cucumber – watery with light melon notes, English or hot house is seedless Fruits – berries and citrus Mushrooms – variety of textures, color and flavors Peppers – sweet & mild or hot & pungent Tomato – Variety of shapes and flavors Tuber – Carrot, Radish

Types of Salads Green: tossed or composed - lettuce Bound: cooked primary ingredients, “bound” together with a dressing – potato or egg Vegetable: Cooked or raw – usually a heavy dressing – coleslaw or broccoli Fruit: Fruits w/ cream, yogurt or other sauce Combination: different ingredients or different kinds of salads – vegetable with tuna

Starter or Appetizer Salad Small portion, light, fresh crisp ingredients to stimulate the appetite Watermelon, Feta and Mint salad

Accompaniment or Side Salad Light and flavorful, but not too rich Should balance and complement the main course Potato, macaroni, or any side salad.

Main Course Salad Large enough to serve as a meal Protein – well balanced visually and nutritionally

Intermezzo Salad or Palate Cleanser After a rich dinner before dessert, very light

Dessert Sweet, usually contains fruit and sometimes cream, pudding or yogurt as a sauce

Cleaning & Preparing Greens Keep refrigerated Clean thoroughly – dirt, insects, pesticides Remove core, outer leafs Rinse, don’t soak Dry – spin or paper towels Remove bad spots and tough stems – tear don’t cut

Salad Dressings Vinaigrette – suspension is a temporary mixture of ingredients that then separates again. 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus juice). Emulsified Vinaigrette – using an emulsifier to permanently keep ingredients together. Mayonnaise Based – creamy like blue cheese, ranch or thousand island. Mayonnaise – Oil, vinegar, eggs – used as a binder in salad. Other – sour cream, yogurt, fruit juices, etc…

Dips Flavorful mixture that accompanies certain food items. Served hot or cold. Good consistency is important.

Garnishes Eye appeal Complements the food in color, flavor and texture.

Essential Skills Always garnish dishes right before serving Purpose is to add personality to a plain dish Contrasting colors