Salads are for globetrotters.
Start with the dressings—"French,” “Italian," "Russian,” “Thousand Islands,” even "Roquefort.” The salads themselves are a Baedeker, not a menu. “Nicoise,” fragrant, herbed, to be enjoyed in the summer sunshine. "Greek,” tangy with feta, a cooling, refreshing patchwork of raw garden glories. “Russian,” also called Salade Russe, a-seasonal but a welcome addition to summer’s cold buffet. Chilled cooked vegetables dressed in thick golden mayonnaise, edged with onion and enriched with cubes of ham or tongue. Molded in aspic, Russe becomes Parisienne.
Who rules this splendid green empire? Why, Caesar, of course. I also have memories of Waldorf from a high school home ec (eccch) course. Apples, walnuts, celery, and mayonnaise. Recently I came upon a recipe for peanut butter Waldorf salad in a cookbook which shall remain nameless. I would have called it Holiday Inn, not Waldorf.
Right Now
There is no better time to consider salad than right now. Locally grown lettuces are about to be gathered. Freshly picked salad bowl or ruby or Bibb offer delight enough even without tuna fish, anchovies, potatoes or cheese. Those more substantial additions qualify salads for the main course. The necessary addenda—herbs, cucumber, radishes, scallions, tomatoes can come from your backyard and certainly should have traveled no further than from Riverhead to your salad.
Make no mistake. There is no bottled dressing which can bless those lovely, tender greens (or any other ingredi? ents for that matter) as well as a mustard vinaigrette (whipped up) at the last minute: three tablespoons vinegar (tarragon, wine) mixed with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and then beaten with half-cup of the best olive oil, some salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Add a sprinkling of fresh herbs, whatever happens to be growing. Garlic? A tiny clove or part of one. Use a garlic press to spike the sauce with the pungent juices.
Salade Nicoise
1 medium potato, boiled peeled and sliced (about 1 cup potato slices)
1/2 lb. green beans, blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, then cut in 1-inch lengths
2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups mixed salad greens, washed, dried and in bite-sized pieces
7 oz. can tuna fish, preferably packed in olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 large, ripe tomato, cubed
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
4 flat anchovies
8 black olives, French, Italian, or Greek
1 tsp. capers
2 tsp. minced fresh herbs (parsley, chives, rosemary, chervil, basil, etc.)
Combine potato slices and beans in a bowl. Mix vinegar with mustard and beat in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes and beans gently with about a third of this mixture. Arrange the salad greens in a shallow bowl or on a platter.
Arrange tuna fish, peppers, tomatoes, eggs, and the bean and potato mixture attractively on the greens. Criss-cross the anchovies on top, dot with olives, and sprinkle with capers and herbs. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and serve.
Serves four as an appetizer, two as a main course.
