The dog days of summer are officially here with temperatures in the 90s and humidity to match. It's the time of year when a fresh salad as an entree is welcome.
I've always been a fan of salads as the main meal. They're packed with a variety of vegetables and a simple grilled or roasted protein _ and speak of summer.
They're a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken or fish, grilled vegetables and to pick from your garden, if you're lucky. Farmers markets are at their peak during the summer months, lending themselves to healthy ingredients to add to your salad.
In our house, we always have the components of a large salad and find that you can add any number of ingredients to create a complete meal.
Here are some tips to get you started.
THE INGREDIENTS
To create an entree salad at the last minute, I have the following staples on hand: canned beans and tuna, a variety of lettuce, tomatoes (in season), cucumbers, celery, carrots, fresh herbs and hard-boiled eggs. From there you can add leftover cooked vegetables, protein and items such as roasted potatoes, seeds and nuts, pasta or complex carbs, such as brown rice, quinoa and bulgur.
Remember, to create the best salads, use what's in season and shop locally whenever possible. There is nothing quite as delicious as a homegrown tomato in the peak season or a cucumber from the farmers market.
THE DRESSING
I recommend making your own dressing, and I always keep a container of homemade vinaigrette in my refrigerator. I remind my students that vinaigrettes are as creative as you want them to be and can double as a sauce for a piece of grilled fish, in a pasta salad or as a marinade for steak.
If you like to add dairy, cheese is a delicious addition to many entree salads. I prefer shaved or grated Parmesan, chevre, feta and occasionally a blue or Roquefort to crumble on top before serving.
My favorite vinegars are apple cider, rice wine and Spanish sherry wine but feel free to add whatever vinegar you enjoy, keeping in mind that citrus can be used in place of vinegar as a refreshing dressing component. I especially love fresh lemon mixed with a very good virgin olive oil for a quick dressing.
As far as oils go, there are many choices and I often have at least three or four in the cupboard at any given time. I recommend a good quality extra virgin olive oil along with walnut, avocado and grape seed oil for variety. To that, you can add fresh snipped basil, parsley or mint along with a minced shallot or sliced scallions.
COMPOSED SALADS
For a beautiful presentation, I love a composed salad, meaning you arrange the ingredients on a large serving platter with the various components grouped together. Think of tomatoes, cooked new potatoes, green beans and grilled rare tuna in a salad nicoise. The presentation is stunning.
For a more casual entree salad, I toss most of the components together and top with a protein, crumbled cheese or halved cherry tomatoes. Dressing is often tossed with some of the dish, and extra can be passed on the side.
ANYTHING GOES
Salad as an entree can be as simple as mixed greens, a chopped tomato and a good canned tuna with vinaigrette or as elegant as a Lobster Cobb Salad. The key to enjoying summer's bounty is to be creative, use quality ingredients and remember that anything can be tossed in or arranged to make salad a meal.
