It happens every year about this time. The sun is warms the
ground, the BSD (big, slow, dumb) mosquitoes that wintered over
start buzzing around looking for their pound of flesh, and the
grills and picnic tables get dusted off – ready, set, summer!
I spend a fair amount of time hoping that maybe this year the lawn
will cooperate and stay green and lush, but need less mowing and
watering. I want my hanging planters and window boxes to overflow
with flowers, but need less fussing and trimming. Most of all, I
eagerly await invitations to potlucks, barbecues, wedding
receptions, birthday parties and other celebrations so I can
shamelessly beg, steal and borrow recipes from the unsuspecting
hosts and share them here with you.
The price of admission to these wonderful events is often a casual
“just bring something to share”, which for me is often a pan of
The Beans, which you have heard about here every summer for years,
or sometimes a big bowl of potato salad, if I think I can put
together a decent batch. (I have to be in the right frame of mind
to make spud salad, otherwise the results are not pretty, trust
me.)
This year, I decided I needed a few new items in my recipe box to
choose from so I’ve been researching portable salads that are
easy, quick and don’t call for a lot of exotic ingredients. Most
folks are eating lighter these days anyway, and having I’ve found
that having some vegetarian fare on the menu is likely to please
more than a few guests.
When I was growing up salad used to mean iceberg lettuce and some
styrofoam flavored tomato slices adrift in a sea of Miracle Whip.
I’d choke down a spoonful or two just to keep the grownups happy,
and then I’d get back to chomping down the salmon or hamburger
that was usually on my plate. I hate to tell you how old I was
before I realized that lettuce was actually green and not covered
with a pale film of sauce. Salad and I had a fairly innocuous
relationship for a long time until I discovered alfalfa sprouts on
my maiden trip through the salad bar my first year at college. It
was love at first bite and we’ve been going steady ever since, as
I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. Being able to choose what went in
and on my salad was more fun and lots more tasty than I ever
expected. I’m still slightly suspicious of those garbanzo beans,
though, and I’ll always skip the anchovies, thanks anyway.
Today’s salad recipes go a step beyond lettuce and tomato and a
fair number of them make a fine main dish on their own. If you can
organize it, make sure to take the dressing in a separate
container and toss the salad when you arrive at the party so
things don’t get soggy in transit. Zip top bags are perfect for
toting the veggies, and small jars with tight lids work well for
both transporting and mixing the dressing once you get where
you’re going.
And if you see me there taking notes, just look the other way or
keep the host distracted long enough for me to get my spying done,
ok?
Broccoli Peanut Toss
This went over big at a recent event, and the bowl was literally
scraped clean. Even though I don’t care for broccoli, I’m not
opposed to working with it in a salad that sounds this tasty!
Mix together in a large bowl:
7 cups broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/ 2 cup Cheddar cheese cubes
Dressing
In a separate small bowl, combine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pour over salad; toss to coat if serving immediately or
refrigerate dressing and vegetables separately until serving time.
Substitute cauliflower florets for half of the broccoli for a
colorful variation.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
The mint is an unusual, but refreshing addition to this salad,
which would go great with grilled chicken or fish.
Combine in a small bowl:
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Refrigerate for one hour to let flavors blend. Then add to:
2 cups coarsely chopped, peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
Mix well and refrigerate until serving.
Melon Coleslaw
The kick of the spicy pepper, the cool melon, and the tangy sour
cream make a perfect balance of flavors that compliments any dish.
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups chopped cantaloupe
1/ 2 cup fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
Combine cabbage and cantaloupe in 1 1/2-quart serving bowl.
Combine sour cream, cilantro, pepper, lime juice and honey in
small bowl. Add to cabbage; toss lightly and refrigerate at least
two hours before serving.
Minestrone Salad
Just like the soup of the same name, this salad has a little bit
of everything and all the comfort value, too.
4 ounces cooked, drained and cooled vermicelli or angel hair pasta
2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 medium Roma tomatoes chopped
1 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips
1 fifteen ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
1 six ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, reserve
liquid
1/ 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese cubes
In small saucepan, bring carrots and enough water to cover to a
full boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just crisp tender.
Rinse immediately with very cold water and drain well. Combine
cooled carrots with vermicelli and all remaining salad ingredients
except artichoke liquid.
Use the artichoke heart jar and combine reserved artichoke liquid
and the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour dressing over
salad; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours. To
serve, scoop portions onto romaine lettuce leaves.
Summer Fruit Special
A main dish salad ham and cheese fans will enjoy. Diced turkey or
chicken can be substituted for the ham, and you can add
blueberries or raspberries to the strawberries for more color and
flavor, too.
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
2 medium nectarines or peaches, peeled, sliced
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 pint strawberries, hulled
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all salad ingredients in serving bowl; toss well.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl or shake in
small jar until combined. Pour dressing over salad right before
serving. Toss to coat.
New Potato Salad
No eggs to cook, peel and chop, but you won’t miss them in this
lighter version of the traditional classic.
6 cups quartered small new red potatoes, cooked and cooled
Dressing:
Combine in the bottom of a large bowl:
1 cup fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons coarse ground Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Add potatoes; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 more
hours so flavors blend.
Southwest Sensation
A main dish salad sure to please the vegetarian crowd.
2 cups cooked rice
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
One 11-ounce can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/ 2 cups cubed Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
Tomato slices wedges
Combine rice, black beans and corn in large bowl; mix well.
Stir together oil and lime juice in small bowl, then pour over
rice mixture. Add the parsely; mix lightly so beans remain intact.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, better if overnight. Just
before serving, stir in cheese cubes. Garnish with tomatoes.
Corn Relish Salad
One bowl, one hour, one fabulous side dish.
In a large bowl, whisk togther:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Then add:
One 16-ounce bag frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
8 ounces shredded Co-Jack cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir well until dressing is evenly distributed. Cover relish and
refrigerate one hour. Stir again before serving.
