Tidewater Kitchen - Salad as a Main Course: Pamela Meredith

Salad as a Main Course

When you’re planning a summer menu, don’t forget the salad. Instead of putting something together at the last minute or preparing an old standby, plan ahead and serve an eye-catching salad with fresh appeal for the main course.

What is a salad? Certainly not just the traditional lettuce tossed in a vinaigrette. Salads are a composition ~ some artfully arranged, some tossed casually together ~ all inspired by fresh seasonal vegetables, hearty meats and juicy fruits and grains we find in the markets every day.

Tidewater Kitchen ARUGULA SALAD with

CALAMARI and SAUCE

Unlike green salads, which wilt 1/2 pound fresh arugula (3 large in a vinaigrette, most of these bunches) salads are even better with a lit- Big shavings of very good Parmesan tle mellowing ~ even for a day or Lemon Vinaigrette: so. Most are designed to be made Juice of 2 freshly squeezed lemons ahead of time and served chilled 1/2 cup good olive oil or at room temperature. Above Pinch of kosher salt & pepper all, salads celebrate the pleasure of cooking with fresh produce and Fill the sink with cold water and other superb ingredients. I know toss the arugula for a few minutes from experience that after a long to clean. Spin-dry the leaves and day in the office or in the car, it can place them in a large bowl. be truly therapeutic to spend qual- In a small bowl, whisk together ity time with beautiful vegetables the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and and ingredients. Try these easy pepper. Pour enough dressing on main dish salad recipes for a deli- the arugula to moisten. Toss well cious lunch or dinner. and divide the salad among individual plates.

With vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and arrange them on the arugula. Serve with pickled peppers.

FRIED CALAMARI

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying 1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inchthick rings 2 cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Pour enough oil into a large, heavy saucepan to reach a depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Work-

ing in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with spicy aioli.

SPICY AIOLI

1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 T. fresh lemon juice 3 cloves garlic, smashed 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Mix all together and enjoy.

PASTA SALAD

12 ounces uncooked tortellini 1/2 cup red onion, diced 1/2 cup cucumber, diced 1/2 cup red and yellow bell pepper, diced

For the dressing: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup good olive oil 4 garlic cloves, smashed 1 t. capers, drained 1 t. kosher salt 3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper 3 T. freshly grated Parmesan

Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a Mason jar or small bowl and mix together well, then set aside.

Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, start preparing the other ingredients. Drain the pasta once cooked, then allow it to cool.

Add the cucumber, red onion and colorful peppers to the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Toss all the ingredients together and gently fold in the dressing.

Allow to sit for 3 to 4 hours be-

fore serving. Even better, make it a day in advance and store in refrigerator until serving. The pasta and veggies have time to soak up all the delicious flavor from the dressing.

Note: This is a highly versatile salad. You can add almost anything to it, including tomatoes, corn, black olives, avocado or salami. It all depends on your taste.

GRILLED CHICKEN

CAESAR SALAD

Juice of 4 squeezed lemons 3/4 cup good olive oil 2 t. kosher salt 1 t. freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken breasts in a glass bowl.

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Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill and cook the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Serve grilled chicken over Caesar salad. Caesar Salad: 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 t. anchovy paste 2 T. mayonnaise 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 1 T. lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil Hearts of Romaine, chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano cheese 1 cup croutons

Make a garlic paste, then add rest of dressing ingredients.

Toss with lettuce and top with cheese, croutons and sliced chicken.

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

4 cups crusty French bread cubes 3-4 T. flavored olive oil 2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and crushed Salt and pepper to taste

Cut French bread into bite-size pieces. Place in bowl and drizzle with your favorite flavored olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper, then mix in the crushed garlic. Spread the croutons on a cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 425° and bake 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on top of salad with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the Caesar dressing above.

POTATO SALAD

3 pounds small red potatoes Kosher salt 1 cup good mayonnaise 1/4 cup pickle juice 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup medium-diced celery 1/2 cup small-diced red onion 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced

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