You don’t make friends with salad….

I’m not sure exactly where that ditty came from, but it should be sung to a syncopated beat every time you toss one.

I was never a big salad fan. Like everyone of my generation Salad was iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

It sat on the table wilting among the barbeque spread and certainly wasn’t something you happily reached for.

It was about circa 1992 when avocados came on our scene. They were a special treat.

Occasionally there was some cheese, but usually segmented Coon.

But a while ago the Hungry One and I made a decision to skip carbs at dinner. Now that’s a social thing to do. Certainly makes it easy when people invite you over for pasta.

So instead salad has had to become our friend and we’ve had to be more creative.

When it comes to salads I think there are some that work and some that don’t.

It’s an ever movable feast. But really there is very little in this world that doesn’t taste good when it’s fluttered about in Joseph olive oil.

But the Hungry One’s brain works in formulas. It works in calculations, systems and procedures.

Mine works in wavering lines and tangential associations.

But out of the fiddly mess of mesculin and its potential pitfalls at the end of a day I’ve come up with a formula to guide us through.

It’s not quite the choose your own adventure excitement of Sizzler’s salad bar-

But there’s no sneeze guard to contend with either.

Salads to make friends with:

THE FORMULA
Leaf + crunch + sweet + salty + squishy + herby = fun

Example

Baby rocket + shaved fennel + mandarin segment + slivers of black olives + mint.
Excellent with seared white fish. Needless to say all salads should be dressed with salt and pepper and a mixture of oil and acid.

Rocket and baby spinach + toasted pine nuts + roasted red onions and pumpkin pieces + goats fetta + roasted cherry tomatoes + basil
Truly fabulous with a great piece of sirloin steak done on the barbeque and some Dijon mustard.

Rocket + toasted almonds + raw zucchini ribbons ( done using a vegetable peeler) + raw mushrooms thinly sliced and salted + baby bocconcini + mint and parsley.
Zest some lemon over the top and make it an hour before you plan on eating it. The salted raw mushrooms and zucchini will soften. Dress it with lemon juice and olive oil. Great with chicken or pork.

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Happy Chicken

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