Start with a great base.

Most salads begin with some sort of leafy green. I like to use Red Iceberg lettuce and red or green romaine. I may add arugula or spinach. One of my go-to dishes year-round is Tuscan Kale Salad (recipe on page 104) made from sliced leaves of black Italian “dinosaur” kale. Or skip the leafy greens altogether and replace them with vegetables like lightly cooked broccoli or asparagus.

STEP TWO:

Pile on the produce.

Add a variety of fruits and vegetables to your salad. Standbys such as tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers add an array of nutrients including antioxidant carotenes, but feel free to include anything from your garden or on offer at your local farmers’ market that whets your appetite: Brussels sprouts (chopped fine), onions, avocados, jicama, berries, and beets are just some of the delicious options.

STEP THREE:

Pick your protein.

A side salad becomes the main course with the simple addition of protein. Conventional protein-based salads include chef’s salad (typically with cold cuts) and tuna or chicken salad, but I prefer healthier options like those made with broiled or grilled salmon, marinated tofu, or the fermented soy product known as tempeh. Cheese adds protein as well as flavor: Try crumbled goat cheese with spinach and nuts or feta or blue cheese with tomatoes, olives, and greens. I often enjoy a piece or two of grilled halloumi cheese (a semihard, unripened Mediterranean cheese) in my salads.

STEP FOUR:

Get your fiber fix.

In addition to produce, you can amp up your salad’s fiber content by adding whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, or barley. You might also try sprinkling some ground flaxseed or walnuts (both good vegetarian sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids) on top, or mixing in a handful of sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sliced almonds. Dried berries and cherries can add fiber too, but try to keep portions small, since dried fruit is high in sugar.

Dress it up. STEP FIVE:

I never use commercially prepared salad dressings because of the unhealthy additives and oils they often contain. Instead, I prefer to whip up my own dressing and recommend that you do the same. A base of extra-virgin olive oil; fresh lemon juice; some balsamic, red wine, or cider vinegar; and fresh garden or windowsill herbs like dill, parsley, or tarragon can be jazzed up with ingredients like Dijon mustard, crushed garlic, and red pepper flakes—the choices are unlimited, and the result will be tastier and healthier than storebought dressing. If you crave a creamy dressing, try a bit of silken tofu in place of dairy products. Toasted sesame oil makes a good base for Asian-inspired salads.

A RAW DEAL?

Salads are certainly enjoyable thanks to the fresh, tangy crunch of raw vegetables, and they’re undeniably healthy. With summer’s heat, you may be tempted to have a salad for nearly every meal in order to forgo turning on the oven. But not all foods should be enjoyed raw.

Proponents of raw foods diets claim that cooking destroys vital enzymes and nutrients. However, the enzymes they’re referring to play no role in human nutrition, because stomach acid destroys them as efficiently as cooking. In addition, several vitamins and minerals found in vegetables are actually less bioavailable when you eat these foods raw. (Not to mention, when you eat everything raw, you lose much of the best flavor, texture, and appearance of food.)

For example, you can get significant amounts of lycopene—the carotenoid pigment that may help prevent heart disease and breast and prostate cancers—only from cooked tomatoes, not from raw ones. The carotenoids in carrots are more bioavailable when the vegetables are eaten cooked. Yet, both are salad staples when raw. I’m not advocating you rob raw tomatoes and carrots of a place atop your lettuce, just be sure to eat them cooked as well.

I’m excited to share an array of tasty salad recipes with you throughout this publication that come from my cookbooks and talented chef colleagues. Find several within each grouping of seasonal recipes.

Some foods should never be consumed raw because they contain natural toxins that are destroyed during the cooking process. For instance, never eat raw mushrooms. Button mushrooms contain small amounts of carcinogenic compounds that are broken down by heat. Mushrooms in general are also more easily digested after cooking, which makes important nutrients including B vitamins, minerals, and protein more available to the body. Likewise, alfalfa and other legume sprouts should not be eaten raw: They contain canavanine, a natural toxin that can harm the immune system.