1. Chapter 3
Salads

2. Chapter Objectives
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

3. Salads in Culinary History
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

4. Three Major Salad Categories
Green salads
Side salads, made from vegetables, potatoes, grains, pastas, legumes, and fruits
Composed salads

5. Green Salads Salad green categories: Mild greens Spicy greens
Bitter greens or chicories
Prepared mixes of greens
Herbs and flowers
Micro greens

6. Mild Greens Biggest category is lettuce Lettuce classifications:
Leaf
Butterhead
Crisphead
Include mâche, some young, immature spicy greens and baby varieties of some cooking greens and cabbages

7. Bitter Greens and Chicories
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

8. Spicy Greens Distinct pepperiness or assertive flavor
Still mild enough to eat in salads
The younger they are, the less spicy they will be.

9. Prepared Mixes of Greens
Convenient, prewashed and trimmed mixes of greens
Ready availability and ease have made them very popular

10. Herbs Leaves of aromatic plants used to add flavor food
Quality indicators:
Aroma
Good color (usually green)
Healthy looking leaves and stems
No wilting, brown spots, sunburn or pest damage

11. Herbs
Herbs to be used in salads that have a naturally tender texture or soft leaves:
Young basil
Chives
Small mint leaves
Pluches of chervil
Pluches of flat-leaf parsley

12. Flowers Should not be overused Important to note size and flavor
Edible flowers divided into two groups:
Garden flowers
Herb flowers

13. Garden Flowers Examples: Bachelor’s buttons Carnations Dianthus
Johnny jump-ups
Marigolds/calendula
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Popcorn shoots
Roses
Snap dragons
Violets

14. Herb Flowers Examples: Anise hyssop Chive Lavender Mustard Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme

15. Microgreens 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

16. Microgreens Examples: Arugula Beet top/Bull’s blood Celery Cilantro
Mustard
Pea shoot
Purple or pink orach
Radish
Red Garnet Amaranth
Red cabbage

17. Care for Salad Greens
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

18. Side Salads Types: Vegetable salads Potato salads
Pasta and grain salads
Legume salads
Fruit salads

19. Vegetable Salads
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:
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)

20. Potato Salads 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

21. Pasta and Grain Salads
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

22. Legume Salads
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

23. Fruit Salads
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

24. Composed Salads 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

25. Composed Salads 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.

26. Warm Salads 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.