Salad really does rule. Mostly because it does not really have any rules. Anything can get cast in the role of salad. It’s a lawless land of loose definition. One definition reads “a mixture containing a specified ingredient served with a dressing.” I like those parameters. I guess that explains Ambrosia and it’s weird cousin the Watergate Salad. A mid-century toss up of pistachio flavored jello, cool whip, pecans and pineapple * shutters *.. which maybe they named it watergate because the person who made it didn’t want anyone to know they were up to some shifty shit. Yikes. I digress. As the temperature rises there’s going to be a lot more salad in my life and here on Naked and Eggs. Salad over smoothies I say. Because 1. Chewing is tremendously important and 2. Summer produce is too beautiful to obliterate in the blender.
Day 152: Salad, a lazy trilogy. Part One. Tomatoes and cucumbers dressed in raw apple cider vinegar, olive oil and fresh thyme. Part Two. Leftover kale salad that was wilted in coconut oil, lemon, S&P, sprinkled with raw pumpkin seeds. Part Three. Potatoes boiled in garlic, rosemary and thyme (classic move). I cooked them the day before and had them chilling in the fridge. I just cut one up, covered in a chopped boiled egg (also cooked ahead of time) drizzled them in olive oil, threw in a little Parmesan cheese and parsley. It’s lazy but it’s good. Garnished the whole thing with some toasted quinoa and voila! A pretty dope salad breakfast experience is mine.
Things to know about dressing a salad: First off, these aren’t rules. Just suggestions. Unless it’s kale or cabbage, if you dress it too early your salad with get sad and undesirable. The crunch will be MIA. Think of dressing your salad like putting on your hat as you are leaving the house. It’s a last minute move. Also a cooking question I’ve been asked a lot over the years is ‘what is the ration of oil to vinegar (fat to acid) in a vinaigrette?’ Technically it is 3 to 1. Three parts oil 1 part vinegar or citrus. But you do you. Play around with it. It is your salad after all.