Autumn
Salads

We know that vegetables are good for us and we know that fresh
crisp raw vegetables, in a salad, are the very best for us in
healthy food.
Salads range from the common garden
variety, Garden Salad, which can mean a salad with anything tasty
that is in the garden (or fridge) to the smart sounding salads we
see in restaurants, such as Salad Nicoise, Waldorf Salad, Caesar
Salad.
While mankind has eaten raw vegetable since the dawn of time,
the term 'salad' comes (as do many culinary terms) from the French,
'salade' which is from the Latin 'salata'. Salata means salty. In
early days salads were seasoned with a brine (salty) solution. The salty brine
solution has been replaced by vinaigrette salad dressings
(
see live life Sept
2009)
Salads can comprise of any ingredients, we have fruit salads,
meat salads and even breakfast salads, pasta salads, potato salads,
plus hot or cold salads. Coleslaw is also a salad, from the
Dutch, using shredded cabbage.
The common salad theme is, salad uses fresh vegetables &
fruits, is usually served as a side dish and will have a dressing
or sauce to go with it.
Below are some of my favourite and easy salads, using many of
the ingredients that are used by Burger Wisconsin when they create
your best burgers;
Mixed Lettuce Leaves w Green Herb
Dressing
Leaf Salad
I usually use the lettuces, Buttercrunch, Cos, Frilly, and a little
rocket for that peppery bite. Play around and get a combination
that you like, of course there is nothing wrong with the good old
iceberg lettuce. Any combination of leaves will do, as this is a
very easy & quickly assembled salad.
Buttercrunch / Butterhead - have small round loosely formed
heads. The leaves are buttery textured and have a sweet succulent
flavour. Butterhead is the most popular fancy lettuce variety, and
available in green and red colour.
Cos / Romaine - The lettuce used in the Caesar Salad originated from the Aegean
island of Cos, and has a long leaf with a crunchy rib.
Frilly / Green Frill - Have attractive crinkly leaves that will
stand up on the plate, and have a slightly bitter flavour.
Rocket / Arugula - While not strictly a lettuce, Rocket is a
wonderful addition to a leaf salad. Rocket has strong rich peppery
taste.
Click here for information on NZ lettuce
available
Other salad leaves can be added to your salad to create your own
best salad, such as Baby Spinach, Mizuna, Cress, Mustard leaves.
Click here for information on these
All lettuce leaves should be washed and dried before using, a
salad spinner is a valuable addition to any kitchen. If your leaves
are looking a little wilted a wash in cold water and spin-dry then
place in the fridge for a couple of hours will revive them.