I rarely consult a recipe for making a salad and when I do, I almost never follow it to the letter. My reliable blend of lettuces and olive oil-and-vinegar dressing will accommodate just about anything else I want to throw in — no measuring required.
I found myself hungering to shake up my salad-tossing routine while reading Elena Silcock’s “Salads are More Than Leaves. Salads to Get Excited About” (Hamlyn, $24.99).
The London-based freelance writer and chef doesn’t limit her enthusiasm for salads to the warmer months when appetites wane and produce possibilities peak. Nor does she consider lettuce a prerequisite.
“This book is all about redefining salads, making them the starting point of any meal planning, rather than an afterthought when looking for something green to whack at the table,” she writes.
By her inclusive definition, a combination of griddled halloumi cheese, sliced apple, and a salsa of dried apricots, fresh mint and sesame seeds (“a kind of cheese plate”) makes the cut. So does a mix of oven-baked lamb meatballs and charred chunks of zucchini tossed with an herby green sauce and served on a smear of yogurt.
Recipes fall into chapters according to the adjective that best describes them: Fresh, Fruity, Hot ‘n’ Spicy, Spiced but Not Spicy, Wintery, Grilled, Creamy, and Cheesy. Each is dressed according to one of nine basic formulas that can be modified to fit a particular flavor profile. For example, a salad of chilled soba noodles, avocado, cucumber and edamame is tossed in four-ingredient Miso & Lime Dressing supplemented with tahini. I made it, and it was delicious.
Instructions are thorough and measurements precise, while allowing plenty of opportunity for the imagination to roam. Ideas for swapping one ingredient for another are bountiful. Each recipe tells you at a glance the prep time, vibe (“easy-peasy,” “showing off a little”), complementary sides, and how to pair it with other salad recipes to make it a “party.”
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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