Kelly Rossiter
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This post is part of a series about eco-friendly entertaining. Read the entire Green Summer Gourmet series here.
There's no question that when you invited friends and family over for a barbeque, the grilled items are the star attractions. But honestly, every star needs a good supporting cast, and that's where salads come in. When I'm planning a party, I decide on the main course and then choose salads that will work best with that dish. If I'm having a buffet, I make a number of different types of salads so that the meat entree will be one of maybe five or six things on the plate. The salad choices are endless which in one way is fabulous, but it can also be daunting. What kind of salad do you choose? What moves it from the realm of the ordinary to the "must have that recipe" category?
I've done some of the leg work for you. I've been making salads for parties for many years and I've culled some pretty great recipes. I tend to favour recipes that are quick, easy and can be made in advance. The last thing you want to do when your guests are outside in the sun, quaffing their white wine is be stuck in the kitchen making stuff. There are certainly some recipes here where you do a last minute mix to keep things from becoming soggy, but I try to keep those to a minimum. I love the kind of recipes that I can make ahead and then the flavours develop without any more effort from me. To make this a bit easier for you, I've broken the recipes down into categories
The Wow, What is That? Salad
This kind of salad is the one that has an unusual ingredient, or is a bit of a twist on something that is familiar. Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread and tomato salad that gets a refreshing hit from the addition of watermelon. This is a fabulous recipe for a hot afternoon. It's very easy and totally delicious. The recipe calls for either mint or basil. I adore basil, so that's what I used, but take your cue from the other things you are serving. If you have basil in something else, you might want to try the mint. I bought ricotta for the top, but my son the cheesemonger decided that shaved Parmesan would be better, and it was. Mix the bread in at the last minute so that it soaks up the juice, but remains crispy.
Watermelon Panzanella
4 slices of focaccia, ½-inch thick
2 cups watermelon, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, julienned
2 cups yellow, red or green heirloom tomato, diced
1 cup of cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into half moons
1 bunch of mint or basil
1 cup of ricotta salata
Extra virgin olive oil
White balsamic vinegar (good quality)
Salt and black pepper to taste
- Season the focaccia with salt and pepper and some olive oil, toast in a skillet or in a preheated oven at 375 F until crisp, and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the watermelon with the tomato and cucumber, season with salt and rest for five minutes to allow the juice to come out.
- Add the mint (or basil) and red onion, mix well, sprinkle some olive oil and white balsamic vinegar on it and mix with the bread, just when you are ready to serve it. Top with the ricotta salata and serve with a generous grating of black pepper.
The Traditional Salad
What is a family barbeque without potato salad? I have a friend who attended so many family reunions and church suppers in his childhood that he feels he never needs to taste potato salad again. Luckily, I don't feel that way at all. Of course, there are as many recipes for potato salad as there are families, so this is always a tricky thing. Do you put in hard boiled eggs? Is the addition of celery a travesty? It's a minefield for the cook. Here are a two different styles of potato salad. Go ahead and take a stand and prepare the one that appeals to you.
American Potato Salad
4 lbs potatoes
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green pepper
1 tbsp celery seeds
1 1;2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/8 tsp hot paprika
- In a large pot of a stockpot, cover the potatoes with a generous amount of salted cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 40 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain and peel the hot potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. You should have about 10 cups of potatoes.
- Pour the vinegar mixed with the sugar over the hot potatoes, add the onion and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside for an hour.
- Toss the celery, green pepper and celery seeds into the potates with your hands. Mix in the mayonnaise. Taste and correct seasoning. Decorate the top of the salad with the eggs and sprinkle with paprika.
Serves 8
This elegant potato salad is the ultimate in make ahead dishes, it's great the day you make it, but is even better the next day.
Potato Salad with Cucumbers and Red Onion
3 lbs potatoes
1/4 cup minced chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1 cup thinly sliced peeled red onion
- In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil. partially cover and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
- In a large bowl, mix the chives, 2/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp of the salt, and freshly ground pepper.
- Drain and peel steaming potatoes. Cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices and toss them into the mayonnaise. Toss the cucumber slices with 14 cup mayonnaise and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp salt and peppers. Toss the onion with the remaining mayonnaise.
- Fill a glass bowl with layers or potatoes, cucumbers, and onion. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 6
Of course, the other great traditional salad is the Caesar Salad. I've eaten an awful lot of Caesars over the years and I've never come across one I like as much as this particular recipe. If you want to make a simple green salad, then it's nice to try different kinds of lettuces for a bit of variety.
How About an Asian Inspired Salad?
If you decide to try the Miso Grilled Salmon or the Chinese Marinade from the Green Summer Gourmet: Grilling then you might want to try this Soba Noodle Salad to go along with it. I made this salad for our annual street party earlier this summer and it was a huge hit. It makes a lot, so it's great for a large buffet or potluck party. It's also a great make ahead dish. You can make the noodles earlier in the day and then just add the avocado and cashews when you are ready to serve it. If you are cooking for a crowd, you can try the Very Spicy Asian Vegetable Salad, which can easily be doubled.
If Thai food is more to your taste then you can try the Thai Lemongrass Salad that I made for last year's street party. It too can be made ahead and serves a lot of people. For a really simple, quick hit of Thai flavour you can make a Mango Salad or a Cucumber Salad. These are both recipes that take just a few minutes to make and then you stick them in the refrigerator and you've got two cold, refreshing salads on a hot day.
Don't Forget the Legumes
When I was a kid, I couldn't imagine anything worse on the buffet table than the appearance of the ubiquitous 3 Bean Salad. Now, I love it and make it all the time. I'm sure there are plenty of recipes out there, but I just use a Classic Vinaigrette. If you have a problem with salmonella in your area, or if the salad is going to be out in the heat, you can omit with egg yolks and it will still be delicious. I add some red onion and sometimes toss in leftover vegetables, so the salad is different every time I make it.
One of my all-time favourite bean recipes is the Italian classic Tuna and Bean Salad. You can make this in a matter of minutes and when you serve it on lettuce you have the perfect lunch or light dinner. This is my summer standby and I never get tired of it. Here's a recipe for a Warm White Bean Salad that you might want to make for something a little different, or this Cauliflower, White Bean and Feta Salad which I originally made this past winter for my daughter. If you have other vegetables that would go with the beans, then feel free to substitute.
It's About the Vegetables
Sometimes you want a salad that simply showcases the wonderful produce you have, maybe even grown yourself. Heirloom Tomato and Arugula Salad is just such a one. Beautiful tomatoes, some arugula and basil with a simple dressing, what could be better. The Roasted Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing was originally a fall recipe, but you can use summer vegetables and cook them on the barbeque and use the delicious dressing on them. The other delightful salad that I really enjoyed the taste of is a Radish Salad. I found the original recipe a bit on the fussy side, but I pretty much ignored the instructions and just tossed everything into the bowl as it was cooked and it was perfectly fine. It's designed as a spring recipe, and asparagus is gone now, but toss in some summer squash instead.
So there you have it, a round up of all kinds of salads to showcase the summer bounty. All easy, delicious, and no strain on your pocket book. It's time to get cooking.
More Green Summer Gourmet
Green Summer Gourmet: The Season's Best Grilling Recipes
Green Summer Gourmet: 6 Best Summer Wines
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