The Carefree Gourmet
by Joyce McCombs  - May 12

Celebration Salads

It happens every year about this time. The sun is warms the ground, the BSD (big, slow, dumb) mosquitoes that wintered over start buzzing around looking for their pound of flesh, and the grills and picnic tables get dusted off – ready, set, summer!
I spend a fair amount of time hoping that maybe this year the lawn will cooperate and stay green and lush, but need less mowing and watering. I want my hanging planters and window boxes to overflow with flowers, but need less fussing and trimming. Most of all, I eagerly await invitations to potlucks, barbecues, wedding receptions, birthday parties and other celebrations so I can shamelessly beg, steal and borrow recipes from the unsuspecting hosts and share them here with you.

The price of admission to these wonderful events is often a casual “just bring something to share”, which for me is often a pan of The Beans, which you have heard about here every summer for years, or sometimes a big bowl of potato salad, if I think I can put together a decent batch. (I have to be in the right frame of mind to make spud salad, otherwise the results are not pretty, trust me.)

This year, I decided I needed a few new items in my recipe box to choose from so I’ve been researching portable salads that are easy, quick and don’t call for a lot of exotic ingredients. Most folks are eating lighter these days anyway, and having I’ve found that having some vegetarian fare on the menu is likely to please more than a few guests.

When I was growing up salad used to mean iceberg lettuce and some styrofoam flavored tomato slices adrift in a sea of Miracle Whip. I’d choke down a spoonful or two just to keep the grownups happy, and then I’d get back to chomping down the salmon or hamburger that was usually on my plate. I hate to tell you how old I was before I realized that lettuce was actually green and not covered with a pale film of sauce. Salad and I had a fairly innocuous relationship for a long time until I discovered alfalfa sprouts on my maiden trip through the salad bar my first year at college. It was love at first bite and we’ve been going steady ever since, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. Being able to choose what went in and on my salad was more fun and lots more tasty than I ever expected. I’m still slightly suspicious of those garbanzo beans, though, and I’ll always skip the anchovies, thanks anyway.

Today’s salad recipes go a step beyond lettuce and tomato and a fair number of them make a fine main dish on their own. If you can organize it, make sure to take the dressing in a separate container and toss the salad when you arrive at the party so things don’t get soggy in transit. Zip top bags are perfect for toting the veggies, and small jars with tight lids work well for both transporting and mixing the dressing once you get where you’re going.

And if you see me there taking notes, just look the other way or keep the host distracted long enough for me to get my spying done, ok?

Broccoli Peanut Toss
This went over big at a recent event, and the bowl was literally scraped clean. Even though I don’t care for broccoli, I’m not opposed to working with it in a salad that sounds this tasty!
Mix together in a large bowl:
7 cups broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/ 2 cup Cheddar cheese cubes
Dressing
In a separate small bowl, combine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pour over salad; toss to coat if serving immediately or refrigerate dressing and vegetables separately until serving time. Substitute cauliflower florets for half of the broccoli for a colorful variation.

Creamy Cucumber Salad
The mint is an unusual, but refreshing addition to this salad, which would go great with grilled chicken or fish.
Combine in a small bowl:
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Refrigerate for one hour to let flavors blend. Then add to:
2 cups coarsely chopped, peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
Mix well and refrigerate until serving.

Melon Coleslaw
The kick of the spicy pepper, the cool melon, and the tangy sour cream make a perfect balance of flavors that compliments any dish.
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups chopped cantaloupe
1/ 2 cup fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
Combine cabbage and cantaloupe in 1 1/2-quart serving bowl.
Combine sour cream, cilantro, pepper, lime juice and honey in small bowl. Add to cabbage; toss lightly and refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Minestrone Salad
Just like the soup of the same name, this salad has a little bit of everything and all the comfort value, too.
4 ounces cooked, drained and cooled vermicelli or angel hair pasta
2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 medium Roma tomatoes chopped
1 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips
1 fifteen ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
1 six ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, reserve liquid
1/ 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese cubes

Dressing
Reserved artichoke heart liquid
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In small saucepan, bring carrots and enough water to cover to a full boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just crisp tender. Rinse immediately with very cold water and drain well. Combine cooled carrots with vermicelli and all remaining salad ingredients except artichoke liquid.
Use the artichoke heart jar and combine reserved artichoke liquid and the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours. To serve, scoop portions onto romaine lettuce leaves.

Summer Fruit Special
A main dish salad ham and cheese fans will enjoy. Diced turkey or chicken can be substituted for the ham, and you can add blueberries or raspberries to the strawberries for more color and flavor, too.
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
2 medium nectarines or peaches, peeled, sliced
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 pint strawberries, hulled
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all salad ingredients in serving bowl; toss well.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl or shake in small jar until combined. Pour dressing over salad right before serving. Toss to coat.

New Potato Salad
No eggs to cook, peel and chop, but you won’t miss them in this lighter version of the traditional classic.
6 cups quartered small new red potatoes, cooked and cooled
Dressing:
Combine in the bottom of a large bowl:
1 cup fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons coarse ground Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Add potatoes; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 more hours so flavors blend.

Southwest Sensation
A main dish salad sure to please the vegetarian crowd.
2 cups cooked rice
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
One 11-ounce can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/ 2 cups cubed Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
Tomato slices wedges

Combine rice, black beans and corn in large bowl; mix well.

Stir together oil and lime juice in small bowl, then pour over rice mixture. Add the parsely; mix lightly so beans remain intact. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, better if overnight. Just before serving, stir in cheese cubes. Garnish with tomatoes.

Corn Relish Salad
One bowl, one hour, one fabulous side dish.
In a large bowl, whisk togther:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Then add:
One 16-ounce bag frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
8 ounces shredded Co-Jack cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir well until dressing is evenly distributed. Cover relish and refrigerate one hour. Stir again before serving.

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003