Big Salads

After my post yesterday about eating big salads at Jackson's, I started thinking about what makes a big salad so satisfying. It's easy to just dump a bunch of leftovers from the fridge onto a big mound of lettuce, but who wants to eat the salad equivalent of "everything but the kitchen sink"? If little thought or effort goes into a big salad, it probably won't work. The ingredients have to be interesting, but harmonious.

Like all meals, a combination of sweet, salty, tangy, bitter, creamy, and sour will make your mouth sing. So an Italian-ish salad of sweet roasted red peppers, salty olives, tangy tomatoes, bitter greens, creamy cheese, and sour vinegar (in the vinaigrette) will work wonderfully.

One of my favorites is the classic Nicoise salad, which brings together tuna (preferrably packed in oil), steamed green beans, fresh tomatoes, Nicoise olives, hard-cooked eggs, and steamed red-skinned potatoes. Each ingredient gets mounded into its own pile on a big serving platter and is served with a balsamic vinaigrette. (It doesn't need to be served over lettuce, but I always do.) This salad makes a great picnic dish, provided you are willing to lug a cooler.

Other than having a thoughtful combination of veggies, you also need a fabulous salad dressing. I am not quite ready to give out the recipe for my house vinaigrette, so I'll give you the recipe for my second favorite vinaigrette. In my humble opinion, there is a huge difference in the quality and flavor of store-bought versus homemade salad dressings. Dressings and vinaigrettes are quick to put together (they only take 5-10 minutes). Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably estate grown, and a really good vinegar; the payoff is huge.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or parsley

Throw the ingredients in a blender and blend til thoroughly combined. Or, whisk together in a large bowl til thoroughly combined. Store in fridge in an airtight container.