March 17, 2010 | Issue 1.3
Greetings!
As anyone who's ever eaten a soggy salad knows, it's pretty
easy to mess up a salad. But it's
even easier to make it right. In
fact, a basic salad of fresh, crisp lettuce, tossed lightly in a tasty
dressing, is one of the simplest things you can make - just follow these rules:
1. Wash your lettuce well - no one likes a sandy
salad. (For details, see Step-By-Step: How to Wash Lettuce.)
2. Dry your lettuce very well - dressing won't
stick to wet lettuce. (For more
details, see Step-By-Step: How to Dry and Store Lettuce.)
3. Be gentle!
When handling lettuce, don't crunch the leaves or squeeze them. This
will bruise the lettuce, and make your salad soggy.
4. Don't overdress - always start by tossing your
lettuces with just a little dressing, and add more as you need it. (For details, see Step-By-Step: How to Dress a Salad.)
5. As soon as you dress a salad, serve it - if you
let it sit around too long, the leaves will soak up the dressing and become
soggy.
6. Be sure to season your salad with sea salt and
freshly ground pepper - it really makes a difference. (For more details, see How to Season.)
7. Use your own, homemade dressing - it's so much
better than the bottled stuff, and it's really easy to make. (See below for links
to three of our favorite basic dressing recipes, each of which takes mere
minutes to prepare.)
8. If you tend to make a lot of salad, you can wash
a whole bunch of lettuce in advance, dry it, and store in your fridge. (For details, see Step-By-Step: How to Dry and Store Lettuce.) Mix
up and refrigerate a big batch of dressing and you'll be set to make salads
throughout the week.
Use our Step-By-Step guide, How to Dress a Salad, as your ultimate basic salad recipe - pick any dressing you like, use any kind of
lettuce (or a combination of lettuces), follow the instructions, and you'll
have a perfect salad every time.
Cheers!
The Kitchenista
www.thekitchenista.com |
| This Week's Recipes |
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Basic Dijon Vinaigrette
We love this classic dressing, with its wonderfully creamy texture and
bright acidity. However, you can feel free to alter the recipe according
to your mood - or according to the contents of your pantry.
Read More... |
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Lemon Vinaigrette
We love this light, refreshing dressing. It's great on salads, of
course, but you can also drizzle it on veggies, fish, chicken, couscous,
or anywhere you like. It doesn't get easier than
this!
Read More...
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Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
This dressing is so insanely delicious, you'll want to pour it on
everything - that's why we've given you a recipe for a fairly large
batch of it. Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette will stay fresh for about a
week in your refrigerator (store in a plastic container), and you'll
love having it on hand whenever you want whip up a salad. Read More... |
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