Beat the Heat with Delicious Summer Salads

Unfortunately, the word salad often conjures up the image of a plate of iceberg lettuce, garnished with grated carrot and a cherry tomato, all drowning in gloppy bottled dressing. No wonder people skip the salad and order the jalapeno poppers—it's a safer bet.

The cooks at the local diner may not have realized it yet, but those salad days are over. People across the country are demanding more imaginative salads that make use of local, seasonal ingredients and for good reason. A salad performs two essential functions in a meal. It adds a nutritional boost and balances out the cooked foods in terms of flavor, texture, color and even temperature.

Research has shown that consuming low fat salads at the beginning of a meal can help reduce the total number of calories that you take in. Filling up on salad before other foods, means that you eat fewer high calorie foods. The American Dietetic Association also recommends eating salad to help guarantee that you consume enough vegetables. Salads also offer a way to incorporate healthy ingredients into a meal. Most of us should consume more nuts and seeds, beans, fruit and even whole grains. Tossing a handful of these ingredients into your daily salad is an easy way to increase your fiber and nutrient intake while at the same time making your meal more exciting and enjoyable.

When putting together a salad, it is helpful to break it into its three components; a base ingredient such as lettuce, garnishes and a dressing. Each of these should bring its own distinct taste to the final dish, and at the same time, work well with the other ingredients to create a harmony of flavors. Understanding how to handle these three elements makes creating an inventive salad a snap.

If the base of your salad is lettuce, it is crucial to choose the variety wisely and to handle it properly. Think about iceberg lettuce, it comes to the bowl flavorless. It does offer a satisfying crunch but simply has no flavor. If you enjoy the texture of iceberg (as I do) by all means toss it in, but add other greens like arugula, spinach, or a mesclun mix so that the salad is founded on a base of vibrant flavor.

Next, wash and dry the greens. Wet lettuce dilutes the vinaigrette and destroys the flavor combinations that you work hard to achieve. I am not a kitchen gadget freak but I do believe that a salad spinner is an essential tool that no kitchen should be without. To properly wash salad greens, cut or tear them into pieces first and then soak them in a large bowl of cold water. The bowl should be large enough that the greens float and the dirt and sand can fall to the bottom of the bowl. This process also works to re-hydrate wilted greens.

Once they are clean, gently pick the leaves off the top of the water and place them in the spinner. Spin until they are dry. Pour the water out of the spinner, replace the lid and store the greens in the spinner in the refrigerator. A salad spinner is the perfect storage bowl for salad leaves. When stored this way greens stay fresh and crunchy for a few days. The bit of residual water in the bowl provides a moist environment and the basket keeps the greens from sitting in water.

Every few days, I wash a whole head of romaine and toss in some cabbage and carrots and just leave it in the refrigerator. The mixture maintains its texture beautifully and it is very easy to throw a salad together, no matter how late I get home. I just put some of the greens into a bowl, add a few garnishes, dress it and I'm very satisfied.

The garnishes for a salad determine its character—they add color, flavor and a variety of textures. When choosing the garnish for a salad, avoid using two elements that lend similar flavors such as olives and anchovies. Take time and think about the shapes and sizes that you cut the garnish into—this is where a salad goes from looking like a clunky mess to an elegant dish. Finally, experiment with garnish ingredients. It is all too easy to get into the rut of adding carrot, cucumber and tomato to all your salads. Toss it up by adding nuts and seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruits, cooked fish or meat, pasta, whole grains, hard cooked eggs, pickles, olives, capers and anything else that appeals to you. The vast array of ingredients that can be added provide for endless flavor combinations that make eating salad daily a joy.

Once the base and garnish are set, you are ready to dress them. There is no faster way to ruin a delicious home made salad than by tossing it with an inferior commercially prepared dressing. Vinaigrettes are so easy to make that it just doesn't make any sense to use store bought. A vinaigrette is just a mixture of 1 part vinegar (or a citrus juice) to 3 parts oil with a few flavoring ingredients added. Use only high quality flavorful vinegars and oils, inexpensive white vinegar and bland vegetable oil will ruin a vinaigrette.

To make an impromptu vinaigrette, pour vinegar into a small bowl, add a few of the following; mustard, dried spices, fresh herbs, chopped shallots or garlic, and/or a bit of grated lemon zest. Slowly whisk in oil until you like the flavor. Keep in mind that the ratio of vinegar to oil is just a guideline, if you prefer salad dressing when it is more tart, set the ratio at 3 parts oil to 2 parts vinegar. The proper balance and flavor for a vinaigrette can also depend on what you are dressing—avocado needs a more acidic dressing than tomatoes do.

To taste the dressing, dip a piece of lettuce into it. It needs to be assertive enough that it won't get lost once the salad is dressed and should compliment the finished salad. Most vinaigrettes benefit from bit of time for the flavors to meld, so in general try to prepare the dressing first and hold it aside until the salad is ready to be served.

Putting it all together. Once all the components of the salad are ready, place the greens and garnish in a bowl and sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper. Add the dressing, and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve immediately. Remember that a salad packed with flavors from a variety of ingredients requires less dressing and that means less calories, so dress it lightly at first and only add more dressing if necessary.

Salads are wonderful year round, and especially so in the summer months when the green market is bursting with fruits and vegetables at their peak. The following recipes incorporate seasonal ingredients into delicious salad combinations.

This month's recipes were re-printed from Twelve Months of Monastery Salads (Harvard Common Press, 2004, $22.95). The book was written by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, a resident Benedictine monk, gardener, and cook at Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery. He is the author of numerous books, including From a Monastery Kitchen and the best-selling Twelve Months of Monastery Soups. Brother Victor has been featured on several television and radio programs including the Food Network, CBS Morning News, and ABC's Good Morning America. He lives near Millbrook, New York.

Peach and Chicory Salad
Makes 6 servings

Serve this salad any time and on any occasion, particularly when peaches are in season.

Ingredients
1 small head baby chicory (frisée), torn into bite-size pieces
6 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced lengthwise
One 1.5 ounce box golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup hazelnut oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 pound goat cheese, crumbled, for garnish

Method
In a large salad bowl, combine the chicory, peaches, raisins, and walnuts. Mix well. Just before serving, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a measuring cup or small bowl and pour over the salad. Toss to coat everything evenly. Distribute the salad equally among 6 salad plates. Garnish with the crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately.

Mixed Jicama Salad
Makes 6 to 8 servings

This salad may be served as an appetizer or after the main course.

Ingredients
1 jicama (about 1 pound), peeled and shredded
4 small pickling cucumbers (like Kirby), cut into matchsticks
2 medium-size green bell peppers, seeded and cut into long thin strips
2 medium-size apples, peeled, cored, and cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
To assemble the salad, in a large salad bowl, combine the jicama, cucumbers, peppers, apples and lemon juice. Toss gently to combine, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the mint.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a measuring cup or small bowl until thickened, and pour over the salad. Toss lightly, making sure everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

St. Fiacre Salad
Makes 6 servings

St. Fiacre is the patron saint of gardeners. He was an Irish monk who emigrated to France, where he became famous for his gardens. His feast day is kept on August 30.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups string beans, ends trimmed off, cooked in boiling water until crisp tender, and drained
2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded and bulbs thinly sliced lengthwise
4 medium-size ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 ripe but firm avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced into long, thin strips
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish

Method
To assemble the salad, combine the string beans, fennel, tomatoes, avocados, onion and peppers in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss lightly. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a measuring cup or small bowl until thickened. Add more oil or vinegar if needed. Pour over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately.