FOOD
|
d a l Sa
O L I V E AV E N U E S U P P E R C L U B
Toss out the store-bought dressing Story by Chef Clyde Van Arsdall Photos by Georgia Chakos
L
ettuce does not a salad make. It’s all about the dressing. Not just any dressing — homemade dressing. A salad, in the most basic terms, is anything dressed. Potato, egg, chicken, tuna and pasta can be found in salad forms. These ingredients typically have a thicker dressing than a leafy green salad, but they are still considered salads. The word salad came from the word sal for salt. In ancient Rome, raw vegetables were soaked in saltwater or dressed with salt, oil and vinegar to make them palatable. So when you dress something, it becomes a salad. I have always been fascinated by all the wonderful and innovative things people put in salads. Colors, flavors and textures are all so important, but if it isn't dressed, it ain't a salad. There are several tricks to making a good salad that I will share with you, and none is more important than making your salad dressing at home. Here in California, there is no dressing more iconic than ranch dressing. Evidently, a ranch isn’t just a farm for animals. It is also a place where Steve and Gayle Henson first made their now-famous herbaceous buttermilk dressing. It was served to guests at their Hidden Valley Ranch near Santa Barbara in the early 1950s. Yes, it is a real place. There are quite a few other brands out there that had real beginnings and, in some instances, came from famous or iconic restaurants. Bob’s Blue Cheese
30
CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
|
M AY 2 0 2 2
