Winter salads are okay, with their hearty root vegetables, but spring is the beginning of the seasons where salads hit their glory.
Spinach loves the cool weather of spring, as do herbs, radishes, greenhouse lettuces and pea shoots. As the season progresses, local farms harvest asparagus, snap peas, head lettuces, strawberries, kale, rhubarb, onions and arugula, finishing off spring with the arrival of green beans, broccoli, cucumbers, new potatoes, blueberries, watermelon and early tomatoes.
Summer also is a glorious season for salads with all the tomatoes, corn and fruits.
Nobody ever talks about making winter salads as a meal, but fresh spring produce lends itself to nicoise salad with tuna, potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, or to cold pasta salad with feta cheese and chopped cooked chicken.
Salads pair well with barbecue, which is spring’s favorite method of cooking. Memorial Day may be the height of spring grilling, but the season starts with the first warm breeze. Spring weather can be variable, but so far this one has offered plenty of days to fire up the grill and cook burgers, chicken, steaks or fish.
Salads also are great for Mother’s Day lunches, brunches or dinners. Fruit or Caesar salads are a nice accompaniment to breakfast dishes, while chicken salad is an entrée on its own.
Salads have been eaten since the time of the ancient Greeks, who mixed greens with a dressing. The dish got its name from the French “salade.” In English, the word first appears as “salad” or “sallet” in the 14th century. In the United States, buttermilk-based ranch dressing is most popular, although the French prefer vinaigrettes.
This salad recipe from tasteofhome.com is great for lunchboxes. Add olives if you want a little more zip or cucumbers or capers for more crunch.
Quick Nicoise Salad
1 pound red potatoes (about 2 large), cubed
¼ pound fresh green beans, trimmed
½ cup oil and vinegar salad dressing
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups torn romaine
4 hard-boiled large eggs, sliced
3 pouches (2½ ounces each) light tuna in water
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, adding green beans during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain potatoes and beans; immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, lemon zest and pepper. Divide romaine among 4 plates; arrange potatoes, green beans, eggs, tuna and tomatoes over romaine. Serve with dressing mixture.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
