Salad Days
Iceberg lettuce is out, mesclun and arugula are in. Inventive salads like these have the nutrients and heartiness to take center stage at your next meal.
7/2007
Layer with lettuce
Most salads start with a
canvas of lettuce, which
is rich in vitamins A and
C, potassium, fiber, and
phytochemicals (see
Greens Guide for a list of lettuces
and their nutritional
highlights). When buying
fresh greens, look for
crisp, well-colored leaves
and heads; if you see
black or brown spots or
wilting, don't buy it. "As
soon as you get home,
remove the cling wrap or
packaging, peel off the
outer leaves, and store
the lettuce in the refrigerator
below 40 degrees
and in a crisper if you
have one," advises Robert
Gravani, Ph.D., professor
of food science at Cornell
University.
Water deteriorates lettuce, adds Gravani, so wash and dry it just before using. To do that, place the individual leaves in a bowl filled with cool water (or use a salad spinner and put the leaves in the mesh basket); swirl the leaves in the water to dislodge dirt; let them sit in the water until the dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl; then lift the leaves out of the water (if using a salad spinner, lift mesh basket). Repeat once more, then dry the leaves with paper towels. (If you are using a spinner, rinse it out first to get rid of any dirt that settled on the bottom, then spin the leaves dry.)
Enliven with extras
A mélange of lettuces dressed
with freshly made vinaigrette is
an elegant way to start a meal. To
make salad the main event, follow
these tips.
Add Bite-Size Veggies:
When
they're cut into dime-size cubes, dense veggies such as raw broccoli,
cauliflower, or pole beans have a better "mouth feel" than
larger pieces. Likewise, a carrot
sliced into long ribbons with a
peeler is easier to eat and looks
more elegant than a big chunk of
the vegetable.
