The Greatest Salad

[Darienne]

I was going to say tabbouleh, until I read Hassouni's post. Yumm. A good Fatoush. Can't beat it.

But then I read Peter the Eater's post and thought right: ten best salads. That's it. I am a salad freak, always have been, always will be. I collect salad recipes.

[Hassouni]

Tabboule has to be REALLY good for me to like it - super fresh parsley, chopped very very small, with a good amount of olive oil, eaten with either Arabic bread or Lettuce leaves as a wrap. I tend not to order it outside of Lebanon.

[Darienne]

Tabboule has to be REALLY good for me to like it - super fresh parsley, chopped very very small, with a good amount of olive oil, eaten with either Arabic bread or Lettuce leaves as a wrap. I tend not to order it outside of Lebanon.

Lots of fresh mint. You can't have it without lots of mind.

[Emily_R]

Chris, I'm with you on the Nicoise. While I love the other salads mentioned here, if I could only have one salad to eat for the rest of my life, it would be a Nicoise (with a lemon vinaigrette).

[Nasi_Campur]

Salads oh salads.... with the immense varieties at hand, how could one choose?

Top 5: *1. Anything Green with origins from a home garden. #2 Som Tam, for it incredibly bold and fiery overtones. #3 Ceasar for it's Classical overtones. #4 Tabouli to use the bushels of parsley I've been know to grow. And #5 a pasta salad with chickpeas turning it into a complete meal. MMMmmmmm.

[janeer]

Just-picked Boston (butter) lettuce with a freshly made dijon vinagrette. End of story. Although a true Mexican Caesar is very good.

[Jaymes]

I'll take a VERY traditional Caesar any time, any day!

Does very traditional mean no anchovy though? I heard the original version didn't have anchovies, but good salt-cured anchovies are crucial to the dish. I want one now just thinking about it!

I don't know about the "original" version, as Caesare Cardini supposedly invented it back in the early 1920's, which was definitely before my time.

But we lived in Southern California for a while in the early 1970's, and went often to Tijuana, eating at the restaurant in the Hotel Caesar, where it didn't matter what you ordered, Caesar Salad came with.

It was made tableside, and it had anchovies.

I've been back several times since (although not in the last ten years or so), and it always had anchovies, for whatever that's worth.

As far as perfect salads go - I'd put gazpacho on my top ten list.

[Tri2Cook]

I also remember a black eyed pea salad I had in Alabama that was almost as good as the muffuletta olive salad in New Orleans but I realize both would qualify more as personal favorites than "greatest salads".

[SobaAddict70]

I am partial to salade parisienne. You can adapt it to just about any season.

There may be roast chicken this weekend. It depends on whether I can get to the market early enough on Saturday.

Leftovers, combined with a few vegetables, and maybe a couple hard-cooked farm eggs, and sauce moutarde ... and you're all set.

I'm just thinking aloud here:

Baby Yukon Gold potatoes or fingerlings, fried in French butter

Roasted turnips and black radishes

Lightly dressed heirloom spinach

Maybe some glazed shallots or roasted onion

Puréed delicata squash...

Yes, I think this will be a meal in the near future.

[Norm Matthews]

The best salad is just about any salad made for me by anyone else. Coffee too. Coffee and salads always taste better when someone else makes them LOL

[heidih]

I am partial to salade parisienne. You can adapt it to just about any season.

Leftovers, combined with a few vegetables, and maybe a couple hard-cooked farm eggs, and sauce moutarde ... and you're all set.

Soba can you describe how you make your sauce moutarde?

[SobaAddict70]

I am partial to salade parisienne. You can adapt it to just about any season.

Leftovers, combined with a few vegetables, and maybe a couple hard-cooked farm eggs, and sauce moutarde ... and you're all set.

Soba can you describe how you make your sauce moutarde?

2 tablespoons good-quality Dijon mustard

roughly the same amount of boiling water as the mustard*

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

freshly milled black pepper, to taste

juice of half a lemon

herbs of your choice

other embellishments include: nasturtium flowers, garlic scapes -- but that depends on the season

* It's all right if there's slightly more water than mustard. The water helps with the consistency of the vinaigrette.

Spoon the mustard into a small bowl and add the hot water in droplets slowly, whisking all the while. Whisk in the olive oil the same way - by droplets, whisking well after each addition until it thickens and emulsifies. Taste for salt and pepper, then whisk in the lemon juice and the minced herbs.

Use a tiny amount to just barely coat cooked vegetables, or dribble a little on top of cold meats or fish.

Cover the leftover sauce and keep in the fridge.

Edited February 3, 2012 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Norm Matthews]

SobaAddict70, thanks for the sauce moutarde recipe. It looks really interesting.