Salad season is arriving!

[heidih]

Shall look up the Clark way...if it's online. No, it's not. Too bad. Did Clark omit the sesame oil? Or use some other oil?

Melissa Clark in the book says "It's the kind of recipe that's ripe for substitutions, too. I've used fennel and caraway in place of cumin, left out the sesame oil, exchanged vinegar for citrus".

I read that as using the olive oil and omitting the 2 tsp of sesame oil and being playful with the spicing.

[Pierogi]

Shall look up the Clark way...if it's online. No, it's not. Too bad. Did Clark omit the sesame oil? Or use some other oil?

Melissa Clark in the book says "It's the kind of recipe that's ripe for substitutions, too. I've used fennel and caraway in place of cumin, left out the sesame oil, exchanged vinegar for citrus".

I read that as using the olive oil and omitting the 2 tsp of sesame oil and being playful with the spicing.

Seems to me it should work with cauliflower as well, no? I have a head of cauliflower I need to use, and this sounds so good.

[heidih]

Seems to me it should work with cauliflower as well, no? I have a head of cauliflower I need to use, and this sounds so good.

I think it would be really nice flavor wise with some popped mustard or cumin seeds. Texturally I find cauliflower to be more brittle (?) than it chewier relative. It may break up into crumbles. But I think you are after flavor versus photogenics so give it a whirl and let us know how it went

[Deus Mortus]

I am not a big fan of salads, but there is one thing I can never get enough of. Slightly roasted wild boar ham, sliced in nice thick slices over arugula and wild greens, topped of with a thick sauce made with berries and wild game-stock. Most people wouldn't really call it a salad, but it is a real favorite.

[Darienne]

Well, using both broccoli and cauliflower, this is my very favorite Marinated Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad. It has poppy seeds in it which are such a lovely touch.

As for the variations of the Clark salad. For me it's the sesame oil which transforms it from any of my long time dressings into something very different (which Ed doesn't like). We have been voracious salad eaters for more than (gulp) 51 years now and if, heavens forbid, I should be allowed to pick only one dish to live on, it would be a salad. (Raised by vegetarian parents.)

[OliverB]

I started to stay away from the bagged salads, I've had too much bad luck (compost smell, slimy leaves, brown cut areas) with them lately, and of course they're way overpriced and waste a lot of plastic.

My favorites are fresh arugula from the farmer's market, baby spinach from the same source, nappa cabbage with red cabbage (or white instead of nappa), sliced with a mandolin, add some salt, seasoned rice vinegar, white pepper - yumm! Or salt and sugar, red or sherry vinegar, some pepper and oil.

A new favorite is fresh raw kale (only the crinkly parts, not the stems) and broccoli crowns, add your favorite dressing. (mine being some 1000 island (yes, I know...), some red wine vinegar and olive oil, but works with any hearty dressing). Crunchy , fresh, keeps a long time in the fridge too.

Arugula dressed with red wine v. olive oile s&p is great under sliced steak!