Un-Greening Your Salads

by Kathy Humphrey

I had considered titling this column something like Pimp Your Salads, but wanted to avoid unveiling my furtive tabloid habits. The thought remains the same though, whether expressed in slang or not: salads can move out of the green rut and into the rest of the rainbow and still merit the name. Tom Robbins wrote “The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is the more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” Radishes and tomatoes, strewn over iceberg lettuce, defined “salad” for a generation. Let’s get some serious passion in there. Beets, roasted or grated, make a nice addition to other tossed vegetables for a cold salad. Yams are another delicious way to up your antioxidant consumption. (Remember, with veggies, eat more than seems possible. And generally speaking, the deeper the colour, the deeper the health benefits.) Anything goes. Treat salads as you would a sandwich and throw all of your favourite flavours together. The more the merrier, the bigger the better—go at your salad preparation like you mean it, and remember to eat your non-greens, too!

Roasted Fennel and Beets
1-2 fennel roots
4-5 beets
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Pare fennel, removing tough outer layers; cut into cubes. Peel beets and cut into cubes similar size to the fennel. Place in bowl, toss with olive oil, and season with pinch of salt. Roast for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Allow to come to room temperature. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, tear thyme leaves into vegetables, and stir gently to combine.

Pizza Salad
3-4 big handfuls mixed salad greens
3 ripe red tomatoes, roughly chopped
half each red and green peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil
3" chunk of Mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
4" chunk of turkey Cervelat salami, cut into chunks (optional)

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Dijon mustard

In small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well blended. Place salad greens in large serving bowl. Top with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, cheese and salami. Sprinkle basil leaves over. Drizzle enough dressing over to lightly coat salad and toss gently. Serve.

Roasted Beets With Feta
3-4 medium beets, peeled
125 grams feta cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
sprinkle of salt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Chop beets into cubes. Place into medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. In ovenproof dish, roast beets for 45-60 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven amd allow to cool to room temperature. Crumble feta into uneven chunks and gently stir into beets. Tear mint leaves over, toss, serve.

BLT
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and ripped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, removed from skin and cut into chunks
4 thick slices bacon, well cooked and crumbled (can substitute turkey or tofu bacon)
3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
croutons, to taste, if desired
shredded Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

In small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then let sit to allow flavours to meld. Place bite-sized pieces of lettuce in large salad bowl. Add tomatoes and avocado, and strew bacon over top. Drizzle gently with enough dressing to lightly coat; toss to combine. Sprinkle pine nuts and Parmesan cheese over top. Serve with crusty bread.

Sunset Salad
1 head green leaf lettuce
small bunch radicchio
1 yam, roasted (*preheat oven to 375˚F, cut yam and toss with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes or so, until tender. Do more than you need, and keep the rest for future salads, sides, or wraps)
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin slices
1 medium carrot, grated
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
drizzle of liquid honey
1 tsp mustard powder (or prepared)
pinch of cayenne

Combine all dressing ingredients in small bowl. Whisk well to mix and allow to sit. Tear lettuce into salad bowl. Rip radicchio into bite-sized pieces, place over top. Spread cooled yam, red pepper, carrot, and mango over lettuce. Drizzle with enough dressing to lightly coat, toss gently, and serve.

Kathy Humphrey lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She tries to see cooking for a family not as a chore but as a creative outlet.