Thursday, April 30, 2015

Salad Recipes That Kick Ass!

Salad Recipes That Kick Ass!



Salad and Salt


Salad one of the greatest gifts to mankind, simple robust easy, and so good for you. The key to any good salad or any food for that matter is simplicity, and a little salt & pepper. "Flavor to taste" is the phrase. Remember you can add but you can't remove. This is the law of salt. Again "You can add but you can't remove."  It's so true. I've over salted food, salads, soups, meats. I've over salted food, washed it with water, diluted it with vegetable stock, cream, yogurt, what have you, flushed and repeat. Yet more often than not once over salted. It stays over salted.


 Try a test. Make two salads. One with no salt, one with a small pinch. Make sure they're exact in every other way. Find out for yourself which has more flavor & taste. Only a few hundred years ago wars were started because of salt. Its been very important to mankind. And its absolutely important to taste.

Simplicity is what a good salad craves. I never go wrong rubbing the inside of a wooden bowl with garlic, throw lettuce in, adding a pinch of salt, pouring olive oil over, a little vinegar, tossing with tongs, and VoilĂ ! Great salad every time.

I usually purchase Sea Salt. Sur La Table has good Coarse Sea Salt no preservatives.  It's a lot, inexpensive, lasts for months, and has minerals. During the hot summer months a little salt is healthy if your sweating because of the heat.

If you have health issues, do as your doctor says. Even if its stay away for from salt! My heart goes out to you, but there are many spices and herbs which, can used as a substitute for salt. You might want to experiment. Get your Mortar and Pestle. Scavenge about the garden, or your local health-food store. Crush with the Pestle some dried parsley, savory, thyme, basil, chives, paprika, rosemary, onion powder, bay leaves, fennel, dill, sage, or ginger. Grind up different combinations of the herbs and see which works. Everybody has different taste buds which vary in reaction. What works for you might not work for someone else. Go have some fun in the kitchen. Become a mad scientist. And remember always taste your food as you create a dish. If every ingredient by its self tastes superb, the whole dish will likely as well.  And make sure, remember to taste as you create and a pinch salt to your salads!