my mom makes great salads. i can’t entirely figure out why they are so incredibly good but they are. i suppose it’s one part i-didn’t-make-it-myself, three parts experience, and definitely some secret ingredients splashed in there too. i certainly did not always appreciate them but appreciation or lack thereof aside, salads were often the meal of the night. very green, light on the dressing (and creamy, never; i sometimes rebel against this as woman of the house now.), and with lots of “stuff” on them if you know what i mean. if we’re gonna call it dinner, it’s got to have more than just lettuce.
she made a huge one while we were down in nj. i missed out on dinner putting a very beach-weary parker to bed and came down to a big plate of it. i shoveled forkful after forkful in my mouth exclaiming the whole time, “this salad is so good.” william asked, “can you make salad like that?” i’m sorry william, but i can’t. i mean, really. i can’t. she’s the magic salad maker and i’m just her daughter. no one can quite replicate it. (maybe she’s secretly sneaking msg into them and laughing behind our backs?)
that’s it. not so much a recipe as it was a story about the magic salad maker. but in the meantime i will take any tips on making your salads magic too if you’ve got them? i love a good salad.
Just sat down with my salad and read your post. How appropriate. About to toot my own horn, but this salad is amazing. Boil up some quinoa (1 cup) let cool and mix with a bunch of kale. Throw in some dried fruit, feta cheese, chopped mushrooms, and whatever other veggies you prefer. Make a quick dressing with olive oil, mustard & minced garlic. Add chicken if you want to make a meal. Delicious! How is that for super foods? no msg! 🙂
i'm not always a kale fan but am willing to give it a try. thanks liz!
lightly the salad leaves before you dress them. goes a long way.
I am vegan now, but my friend makes THE best salad I've ever had. It's romaine lettuce chopped up with some chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, and feta. Link to the recipe right here. It seriously is the best and easiest and I miss it every summer!
http://smalltimoreeats.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/the-best-easiest-salad-you-ever-ate/
thank you! i LOVE feta.
I was just having a salad convo with Stephen and my brother the other day as we were eating salads for lunch. Except it went something like: "i dont understand how people eat salads every day. I think they are the most boring food to eat"
But i say that as i chomped on my salad and ate it all, and still continue to order them on occasion for my main meal. But i cant have them every day because my mouth seriously gets bored….ahem.
but maybe I just need one of your moms salads?
did you make a dirty joke?
Ok, so it goes like this. Get out your wooden salad bowl. Into it squeeze fresh lemon juice or any type of vinegar. This is your acid. Feel free to add smashed garlic or Dijon mustard at this stage. Next, drizzle in olive oil while whisking with a fork until you have a nicely emulsified dressing. (The only thing that takes practice is gaging your acid to the size salad you are making.) Now chop veggies and let them sit in the pool of dressing. Your veggies could take up half the bowl if this is dinner. Lastly pile your greens on top. Just before serving, toss very well, adding salt, pepper, nuts, seeds, leftover chicken, or Parmesan (never canned, please). A million varieties and never the same salad twice. And never bottled dressing (read the labels on those-ugh).
that sounds so good. i usually get the 'crunchiest' salad dressings offered but your dressing sounds way better. thanks cynthia!
My aunt makes homemade dressing from oil, salt, pepper and her secret ingredient…a sprinkling of MSG. Weirdest thing I have ever heard of but it makes a tasty dressing.
I think it's all in making your own dressing, which doesn't have to be hard at all! A drizzle of olive oil, herbs, spices, squeeze of citrus & there are so many kinds of vinegar… yum.
I convinced myself that my grandfather is the king of salads – he grows most of his own veggies & always ALWAYS makes his dressing – and always makes, tosses & serves in a huge wooden bowl. I asked for one for Christmas last year and salads totally taste better in it.
i want one of your grandfather's salads. he seems like he'd be a cool guy, too. making salads, growing veggies. not makin' the women do all the work! i like it 🙂
Yum, now I'm all ready to head into the kitchen and make a salad myself. I love making a dressing out of coconut oil, lemon juice, flax meal, crushed garlic, and fresh herbs: parsley, lemongrass, and basil or peppermint. And I don't think you can ever go wrong throwing avocado into a salad.
I will totally eat salads when other people make them, but the thought of making one? Ugh. My neighbor makes the best daily salad — I am trying to schmooze her into divulging the recipe.
agreed. i don't know why it seems like such a blah task as opposed to cooking any dish but sometimes yes. i'm just not in the mood to make a salad!
My mom makes THE BEST salads and whenever I'm with her, I always ask her to make me one. I think it's a sign of a healthy childhood. Some mothers make cookies, mine made bomb salads.
So, yea… I can totally relate to this post. Who knew salads could be so relatable?
nope. i can't think of a time when my mom baked 'just because' – i wouldn't have minded cookies now and then! but yes, salads… always!
(you're commenting from a different name! it had me confused!!) 🙂
i've gotten some great salad ideas from these comments. gems, i tell you.
here's my contribution…a nightly staple in the Flemily household:
green or red leaf lettuce + tomatoes + thinly sliced red onion + avocado chunks + S&P + red wine vinegar + olive oil
then you toss that salad with your hands.
(you shouldn't have to ask if i just made a dirty joke. #ahemmegan)
I looove lemon juice in salads, makes all the difference!
I hand toss the greens, veg and proteins {romaine, pesky spring mix etc} and then add finishing toppings {cheese, nuts/seeds, fruits}.
Easiest salad dressing that will blow your kids minds…grate a shallot as the base, add good balsamic and tsp of sugar + tsp of dijon, mix in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Adjust for taste. Killer every time & stores in a mason. 🙂
First of all, not sure how I stumbled on your blog, but whatever… I, like everyone else, am a salad nut with a mom who also makes the BEST salads. I think it must be a mom thing, if that isn't a reason to have a child, I don't know what is.
Anyway, no one mentioned either of my favorite ingredients… Maple syrup and soy sauce. I know. I wasn't convinced either, until my mom TRULY did put those in every dressing. I finally nailed her down with EXACTLY how she does it. BTW, what is with moms always being like, "oh, just a sprinkle of this, a little of that… I don't know how much… the right amount?" Ugh, MOM! I need hard FACTS. 1 or 1.5 tblspns?! Please!
Here is my favorite: (for 1 pint)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tblspn grey poupon
1/3 (of a pint) vinegar
1/3 (of a pint) oil
2 tblspn maple syrup (or honey)
2 tblspn soy sauce
salt/pepper
and if you're feeling a little creamy: 2 tblspn veganaise
I generally just throw it all in a mini cuisinart for ease. Of course, use the best quality ingredients possible, and I am in agreement that salads must be tossed before serving.
I *TOTALLY* understand. My salads SUCK in comparison to my mom's and I have absolutely no idea why. One time, I stood in the kitchen and made one next to her, just to make sure I got it right. Hers was awesome. Mine was anything but… and I have no clue why. At least I know I'm not the only one who's had issues like this!
Ha! It's so true…everyone's salad is better than mine, mostly because they made it. I think you're right though, I undervalue the mixing and leave the dressing for others to do themselves. Time to take back the reins! Also I miss that non-creamy Caesar from Newmans…it is SO good. Have you tired it as a marinade? Delish.
//maybe she's secretly sneaking msg into them and laughing behind our backs?//
I just laughed out loud reading this. Anywhere in the world, I thing certain things are so common – for example, this mutual pride cum jealousy that moms and daughters share about each others' culinary skills. It's the same with me and my mom too. I just wonder at a few simple dishes my mom makes but which I never seem to get right!