Salad as Art

Think about salads as if you were making a drawing or a picture.   
Use leafy greens to make a textured background, then add all the other ingredients as accents.

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Basic Supplies

1. Paper/Canvas = light colored – “sweet” or bland greens as a background – choose whatever looks freshest at the market. (Use 1 or 2 a week)
1. Iceberg lettuce
2. Romaine lettuce
3. Butterhead lettuce
4. Boston lettuce
5. Green cabbage
6. Bok choy
2. Background Texture = dark colored – “tangy”, “bitter” or more strongly flavored greens make the background more interesting – choose whatever flavors you like best – or try new flavors.  These carry the higher vitamin payload. (Try a new one each week)
1. Watercress
2. Arugula
3. Beet or turnip greens
4. Kale
5. Escarole
6. Endive (light in color but more bitter – pairs well with a darker bland green)
7. Radicchio
8. Dandelion
9. Purple or red cabbage
10. Purslane
3. Chunky Textures = more vegetables – cooked or raw
1. Vegetable leftovers
2. Celery
3. Broccoli
4. Cauliflower
5. Green or yellow beans
6. Artichoke hearts
7. Hearts of palm (canned in the Caribbean food section)
4. Color/Depth & Balance
= root  vegetables – grated, chopped or sliced
1. Carrots
2. Beets – cooked or raw sliced
3. Potatoes – try sweet or colored potatoes – cooked or raw
5. Color/Sweet & Bright = fruits with antioxidant powers – get what is in season
1. Blueberries
2. Cranberries – raw or dried
3. Pomegranate
4. Citrus sections (orange, Clementine, grapefruit)
5. Blackberries, raspberries or any berries
6. Apples or pears cut in slivers or chunks
7. Grapes or raisins
8. Tomatoes
9. Red, yellow & other colored peppers
10. Avocados
6. Focal Point = proteins – 1or 2 make the salad into a meal
1. Leftover meats or fish – cut into bite size pieces
2. Nuts – walnut, pine, almond, pecan, cashew – even peanuts!
3. Seeds – sesame, sunflower, pumpkin
4. Leftover or canned, rinsed & drained beans
5. Cheese – shaved, grated or cut into small bits
6. Eggs – hard boiled and sliced
7. Canned fish - tuna, salmon, sardines or anchovies

Weekly Shopping

1. 1 or 2 of the light greens (depending on how much salad you eat in a week).
2. 1 dark green (change it up every week until you find out what flavors you like) or buy a couple of bags of prepared salad greens

As for the rest of the supply list

1. Use leftover chunky vegetables from other vegetable dishes you make during the week – or snacks (like celery) – or canned goods (artichoke hearts, beans, hearts of palm).
2. Use leftover root vegetables from other dishes – or snacks (like carrots).
3. Use fruits you are buying for snacks & dessert – or maybe try a new special or expensive fruit you might put just in a couple of salads for the week.
4. Use whatever protein you have on hand – leftovers, snacks (cheese, nuts, seeds) staples (canned beans, fish, eggs).

Preparing Fresh Greens
 Greens prepared like this are usually fresher, less expensive and keep longer than bags of pre-mixed greens.  You can also try more varieties than you will get in prepared bags, but bags of prepared greens work just fine.  

1. Wash the greens by putting them into a big bowl or pot of cold water with a small spoonful of salt.  You can use the bowl of a salad spinner for this.
2. After a minute or less, pour off the water and drain in a colander (or the basket of your salad spinner)
3. Rinse off the salt water by holding the colander of greens under the faucet
4. Dry the greens by spinning them in a salad spinner or wrapping them in a clean dishtowel. 
5. Keep the greens in the refrigerator – in the salad spinner or in a plastic bag (the one they came in works fine).  If you don’t use a salad spinner keep the greens wrapped in the dishtowel to keep them crisp.

Assembling a salad

1. Chop or tear 5-10 light green leaves into bite size pieces and put into the salad bowl
2. Chop or tear 3-5 dark greens and put them on top of the light greens – you can mix the greens up with your hands if you like

Or use ½ to 1 full bag of pre-washed greens

1. Chop up a chunky vegetable – whatever is around – and scatter it on top
2. Chop up a root vegetable – or part of one – and scatter it around
3. Scatter fruit slices or berries on top – now your salad should look like an abstract painting!
4. Add a few proteins – scattered or artistically arranged – your choice!

Voila! You have a beautiful and unique creation – ready for the table!