Salads have an important place on the menu. They contribute something both nutritious and refreshing to the lunch or dinner meal. Fruit salads and vegetable salads are the most popular. They also introduce valuable vitamins, necessary minerals, and color into the meal.

Salads can be made quickly and easily if a few simple rules are followed. This is equally true for individual salads that often seem more appetizing and receive greater acceptance than a large dish of salad.

After a crisp, refreshing, and attractive salad is produced, it should be served so that none of this attractiveness is lost. Select a cool place for assembling and serving the salad. Bring individual salads from the refrigerator, a few at a time, so that they will remain crisp.

Salad Ingredients

Salads consisting of fruits, vegetables, meat, or a combination of these ingredients provide a good menu for diet-conscious people or people who are trying to lose weight.

Nearly all salads contain some fresh, crisp greens, at least as a garnish; beyond that, however, the range of ingredients is very wide. A salad may consist of greens tossed with dressing, or it may consist of a combination of vegetables or fruits (or both). There are also hearty salads that may be used as the main dish of the meal.

SALAD GREENS.- Select your salad greens carefully. You have a wide choice of greens that are suitable for a salad foundation-lettuce, endive, escarole, young spinach, and cabbage.  These may also be used as one of the main ingredients of the salad itself. Parsley and the inner tender leaves of curly endive are good for a garnish.

Sort, trim, wash, and crisp the greens before making the salad. Wash them carefully to free them of sand and earth particles. Drain them well. Hand cut the lettuce and cabbage into strips or pieces. Place the prepared greens in pans, cover them with wax paper or a damp cloth, and refrigerate. They should be drained thoroughly and be free of excess water before they are placed in the serving line. They should be one of the very last parts of the meal to be prepared.

SALAD VEGETABLES.- Fresh, canned, or dehydrated vegetables may be used for salads. Select the fresh vegetables with care. Wash them thoroughly. Trim and peel them, if necessary, and cut them into uniform sizes. Cook those that need cooking. When canned vegetables are to be used in a salad, the liquid drained from the cans should be reserved and used in soups, sauces, or gravies. The canned vegetables may be marinated in French dressing before being used in a salad. Dehydrated cabbage, green peppers, onions, and string beans may be reconstituted and used in salads.

Salads used for the main course for lunch or dinner should be substantial and provide the food values comparable to any other main dish.

SALAD FRUITS.- Fruits add variety as well as color and texture to the salad bar. Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits maybe used.

Salad Dressings

The salad dressing is as important as the salad itself. Each type of dressing can take on a new flavor by the addition of different seasonings and herbs.

BASIC DRESSINGS.- The two basic kinds of salad dressings are French dressing and cooked salad dressing. Commercial salad dressing is similar to mayonnaise except that a cooked starch paste is added and less oil is used than in mayonnaise. French dressing is basically oil and vinegar to which many kinds of seasonings may be added. Commercial French dressing usually contains tomato paste or puree as well as emulsifiers that keep the oil and vinegar from separating.

SALAD DRESSING INGREDIENTS.- A variety of seasonings can be added to the oil and acid basic ingredients (usually lemon juice or vinegar) of a salad dressing to produce different kinds of dressings that complement a specific type of salad.

Figure 5-9.-Salad greens.

Salad Oil.- Salad oil is an important ingredient in salad dressings. It must be fresh. Salad oil can become rancid and have an unpleasant taste if it is exposed to light, air, and heat. Oil will mix temporarily with liquid after being shaken or beaten, but if the mixture is allowed to stand, it will separate again into layers.

Acid.- Fruit juices or vinegar are the acid ingredients in salad dressings. Pineapple or lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar in some recipes.

Seasonings.- Salt, pepper, and sugar are the usual seasonings in salad dressings. Other seasoning such as mustard, ground red pepper, and herbs add color and flavor.

SALAD DRESSING PREPARATION.- The basic rule in making salad dressings is to make them in advance so that the seasoning will be well blended. Galley-prepared mayonnaise tends to separate if it is not properly made. Some important things to remember are the following:

Have ingredients at room temperature before mixing

Combine ingredients exactly as directed in the AFRS

Make sure the oil is incorporated each time it is added before adding more oil

Use a bowl that is deep enough to allow the mixture to be well beaten

Mayonnaise should not be stored where it could freeze, nor should it be kept at warm temperatures. The container should be covered and refrigerated when not in use. Mayonnaise will curdle or separate if the oil is added too fast or if the mixture is beaten too little after each addition of oil. If mayonnaise separates, it may be reformed by adding it very gradually to egg yolks (use one egg yolk per gallon of mayonnaise).

NOTE: Only pasteurized frozen eggs are to be used in galley-prepared mayonnaise or salad dressings.

As a rule, salad dressing should be added to a fruit or raw vegetable salad not more than a few minutes before you are ready to serve the salad. If you are preparing salads to be set out on the salad bar, place the various types of salad dressings in separate containers so that each patron may have a choice. Remember to use small-sized containers for the dressings. Any salad dressing that is left over after the meal has been served should be discarded.

RELISHES

Relishes may be used in place of, or with, a salad. The AFRS contains guidelines for relish preparation. Raw carrots sliced lengthwise, celery, radishes, cauliflower flowerets, green pepper rings, olives, and pickles make excellent relishes and increase the attractiveness of a meal. All raw vegetables, except leafy varieties, should be refrigerated in icy cold water for an hour or more. This should be done before they are served. This process makes the vegetables crisp and tender.