Salads

Panzanella – Italian Bread Salad

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On a hill top in Tuscany — patio table — good friends and family — sunset — and panzanella made by experts — It doesn’t get much better!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large crusty loaf of stale artisan bread
  • 3 – 6 wonderful dead ripe tomatoes.  They have to smell like summer.
  • a couple handfuls of fresh basil
  • 3 – 4 glugs of fruity olive oil (maybe 1/2 c ?)
  • 1 very thinly sliced red onion
  • splash of wine/balsamic  vinegar
  • Coarse salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Slice bread – tear in bite size pieces.  (If it is not stale, place in 275° oven for about 20 minutes – until slightly crisp.)
  2. Pace in large shallow bowl.
  3. Chop the tomatoes, saving the juice.
  4. Place chopped tomatoes and any accumulated juices into the bowl on top of the tomatoes.
  5. Salt the tomatoes, drizzle olive oil over everything.
  6. Scatter basil, garlic and parsley over everything and just let the bowl hang out on the counter for 2 – 4 hours.  This is the tough part.  You must summon the patience required to wait, and wait.  Tough, I know, but the salad needs to sit a bit for the tomatoes to give of a little juice and the bread to soak up all the delicious goodness.
  7. Just before serving, add thin sliced red onions and a splash of balsamic or wine vinegar.
  8. Toss well.
  9. Salt and pepper to taste and add a touch more olive oil.

The best part about this recipe is it need no refrigeration, in fact, refrigeration destroys the flavors, so make sure to keep and serve it at room temperature.

Because there are as many recipes for this salad as there are Italian grandmothers, you can vary it at will.  Some add cucumber, some add Parmesan shavings, some add mozzarella.  It is your call.  Mangimo!

Serves: 8

Source: A mash-up of Cooking Mama blog and The Pioneer Woman

 

Caesar Salad by Jack

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Jack Clapp worked for Caesar Cardini at The  Caesar’s Palace in Tijuana, Mexico. He brought his version of the Caesar Salad (Jack’s Salad) to La Avenida Cafe in Coronado.  Margie’s grandmother Austin learned how to make it from Jack.  It is a family favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 1 garlic clove (or 1/4 – 1/2 tsp chopped garlic)
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 2 large heads romaine
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 eggs, cooked 1 minute (or raw)
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 6 -8 anchovy fillets, chopped or 1/2 inch anchovy paste
  • 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 c grated jack cheese
  • 2 c soft croutons – see below

Directions: 

  1. In a small bowl, mix oil and garlic.
  2. Let it sit to “mingle” for several hours in the refrigerator.
  3. Tear romaine into bite size pieces.  (You can do this ahead. Place in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp towel.)
  4. To mix, place romaine in a large salad bowl.
  5. Toss lettuce with garlic/oil.
  6. In same small bowl, mix eggs and anchovy.
  7. Toss with lettuce.
  8. Squeeze on lemon juice.
  9. Add cheeses and toss again.
  10. Add croutons and toss again.
  11. To be really authentic, serve on chilled plates.

To make croutons:

  • 4 slices sourdough bread
  • butter
  • more Parmesan cheese
  1. Toast one side of the bread under the broiler.
  2. Turn over and spread with butter,.
  3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  4. Return to broiler until cheese melts and bread is slightly toasted.
  5. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Serves:   12

Source:   Jack Clapp, La Avenida Cafe via Marge Austin

Note:   We fid it simpler to mix the oil, garlic, anchovy and egg all together.

Any bottled /store bought Caesar dressing can be improved by adding lemon juice and anchovy paste.

 

Broccoli Slaw II

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When you are camping for four days, the salad for the last night needs to be pretty sturdy and non “wilty”.  Broccoli is a good choice.  The dressing can be made quickly in a jar.  I have frozen butter milk, but it become very thin. There is also powdered buttermilk in the store.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of broccoli florets
  • 1 bag broccoli slaw mix
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • Buttermilk Dressing

Directions: 

  1. Trim broccoli and cut it into small chunks.  You can include the stems too.
  2. Toss the chopped broccoli and slaw mix with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl.

Ingredients – Buttermilk Dressing

  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Directions – Buttermilk Dressing

Mix the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper.

To serve:

  1. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well.
  2. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:  Makes about six cups of slaw

Source:  Smitten Kitchen

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Kale Slaw with Red Cabbage & Carrots

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A good salad to take somewhere.  Kale and cabbage are very forgiving when it comes to refrigeration.  Take the dressing separate and toss when you get there.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tab olive oil
  • 1 Tab Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp apple-cider vinegar
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • 3 c mixed shredded kale and carrots
  • 1 c shredded red cabbage
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1/4 c fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 Tab diced red onion
  • 1/4 c chopped roasted cashews
  • 2 Tab lemon juice

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, mustard, and apple-cider vinegar.
  2. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In another bowl, combine kale, cabbage, carrot, apple, parsley, and red onion with cashews.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat.
  6. Mix in lemon juice.

Serves: 4 – 6

Source:    Cathy Painter’s a variation on Martha Stewart.  (Or maybe Allison Painter’s)

For 50:

  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/2 c Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tab apple-cider vinegar
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • 2 bags mixed shredded kale and carrots (2 1/2 lbs each)
  • 1 head red cabbage – shredded
  • 6 small or 4 large apple, chopped
  • 2 c fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 c chopped roasted cashews
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Swedish Shrimp Salad – Joppes Rakssallad

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A traditional salad on a smorgasbord.  Nice for summer luncheons or barbecues. No mayonnaise to give you food poisoning if left out too long.

Ingredients:

  • 1# shrimp – (I used bay shrimp)
  • 2 ½ c sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup peas, cooked (I used frozen, defrosted)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dill
  • 2 eggs, hard cooked, cut in wedges

Directions:

  1. Arrange shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and cold peas in salad bowl.
  2. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, dill,
  3. Pour over salad mixture.
  4. Garnish with egg wedges.

Serves:  4

Source:   The Swedish relatives.

 

 

 

Spinach, Brie and Walnut Salad

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I am always looking for different salads.  This one with brie is a winner!  Works well with romaine lettuce too.

Ingredients: 

  • ¼ C. olive oil
  • 1½ Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1 Tab Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp diced garlic
  • 8 c. spinach leaves (about 6 oz.), torn to bite size pieces
  • ½ c  thinly sliced red onions
  • 6 ounces of Brie cheese, diced in 1/2 inch cubes, room temperature
  • ½ C. toasted walnut pieces

Directions:

  1. Shake oil, vinegar, sugar Dijon, garlic to blend in small jar.
  2. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Combine spinach, onion and half of cheese in large bowl.
  4. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat well.
  5. Divide salad between 2 plates.
  6. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Serves:  2
Source:  Bon Appétit June 1992
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Cheater Coleslaw

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So it’s a party.  Old friends.  No one cares about the food – it will be good.  They are there for the company.  Quick, easy, foolproof and amazingly good.  Don’t tell your grandmother with her 17 ingredient cole slaw recipe/10 ingredient dressing recipe.

Ingredients: 

1 bag of shredded cabbage

1 jar prepared coleslaw dressing

1 can crushed pineapple – drained.  If you insist!

Direction: 

Mix cabbage (and pineapple)

Add enough dressing to make it justt way YOU like it – dry or sloppy -just right.

Serves:  25 – 50  What else are you serving?

Source:  Lazy me

 

Broccoli Coleslaw

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Chef Timothy Hollingsworth swaps thinly sliced broccoli florets for cabbage in this crunchy sweet-savory coleslaw.  Sometimes we substitute dried apricots or cranberries, or cherries for the raisins.

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices of bacon (4 ounces), cooked (or store bought bacon bits)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 large head of broccoli (1 1/4 pounds), cut into bite-size florets and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar and sugar; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the broccoli, raisins, onion, sunflower seeds and bacon;
  3. Toss to coat evenly.
  4. Transfer the coleslaw to a serving bowl.

Make Ahead:

The slaw (without the bacon and sunflower seeds) can be refrigerated for 1 day. Bring to room temperature and add the bacon and sunflower seeds right before serving.

Serves:  6

Source:  Food and Wine, Timothy Hollingsworth, June 2015

Spinach Salad

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This is that old fashioned spinach salad from the 60’s.  Still one of the best!  It should be noted that certain family members sometimes left out ingredients they did not like, ie. mushrooms, or bean sprouts, or even Mandarin oranges.)

Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of salad (Nowadays we use the bagged stuff – about 4 cups should do it.)
  • 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled (You can cheat and use processed bacon bits but they are not as good.)
  • 5 oz water chestnuts, diced in good size pieces
  • 1 can Mandarin oranges
  • 4 mushrooms, raw, sliced
  • bean sprouts to taste – a hand-full or two

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 c oil
  • 1/4 c vinegar
  • 1/3 c ketchup
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/2 onion, grated (or dried onions)
  • dash of salt
  • shake of Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

  1. Mix dressing ingredients, chill.
  2. Mix salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Serves:   6

Source:   Pat Negus

 

Tomato Broccoli Salad

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This is a very different broccoli salad – no one at the potluck will be bringing the same thing.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb broccoli, cut into flowerlettes, stems sliced thin
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1 Tab  vegetable oil
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • cherry tomatoes

Directions:

  1. Place the broccoli in boiling, salted water.
  2. Simmer until barely cooked, about 5 minutes.
  3. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  4. Saute onions and garlic in butter and oil until onions are transparent,  about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, basil, and oregano.
  6. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft,  about 15 minutes.
  7. Cool slightly.
  8. Stir in mayonnaise.
  9. Combine broccoli and tomato mixtures.
  10. Refrigerate covered 3 – 4 hours.
  11. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Serves:  12

Source:  Donna Barasch, served at Connoisseur Caper