Salad, simple and satisfying
Summer time is salad time. When it’s hot out and the garden is bountiful, everyone’s in the mood for a light and refreshing entree salad.
Here’s the basic formula per serving of salad: 2 cups ( 500 mL) of lettuce, a heaping 1/ 3 cup ( 80 mL) of halved cherry tomatoes, 1/ 3 cup ( 80 mL) of sliced cucumbers, a quarter of an avocado ( cubed), and 1 tbsp ( 15 mL) of dressing. The key, though, is to season each and every part one at a time, and to do so at just the right moment.
Let’s start with the cherry tomatoes. You’ll be amazed at how much more tomato- y they’ll taste after they’ve been salted and drained, preferably for 30 minutes.
Cucumbers, likewise, become more cucumber- y with salting, though the salt also tenderizes them. If you care more about a cuke’s crunch than its flavour, skip the salting of them.
While the tomatoes and the cucumbers are draining, you should cut up the avocado, put it in the bottom of the salad bowl, season it, and toss it with the dressing. This last step prevents it from oxidizing and turning colour. Pile on the additional ingredients as they become ready. Note: To remove the pit from an avocado safely, cut it into quarters. After rinsing the lettuce, spin it dry or gently pat it dry with paper towel. Dressing will slide right off of wet greens. Keep in mind that a variety of lettuces is more enticing than just one kind, and mixing in whole herb leaves with the greens makes a salad extra special.
After all of the components have been prepped and added to the bowl, sprinkle the greens with a little salt and pepper and toss the salad with your hands. Lettuce bruises easily. Your hands are exactly the right tool for this delicate job.
Now that your basic salad is dressed and ready to go, top it off with grilled chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or tofu to turn it into a substantial summertime entree.
TOSSED SALAD 101
Start to finish: 50 minutes ( 15 active)
Servings: 4 1 ½ cups ( 375 mL) cherry or grape tomatoes Kosher salt 6 oz ( 170 g) English cucumber 1 firm ripe avocado 8 cups ( 2 L) lightly packed torn lettuce Ground black pepper ¼ cup ( 60 mL) dressing 1. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and arrange cut side up on the wire rack.
3. Sprinkle the cut sides liberally with salt, then turn the tomatoes so the cut sides are down. Let stand for 30 minutes. Peel the cucumber if it has a thick skin. Halve it lengthwise, then slice it thinly crosswise. Toss the sliced cucumber with some salt and let drain in a colander set in the sink for 30 minutes.
4. Quarter the avocado, remove the pit and lay the avocado, skin side down on the counter. Using a paring knife, make a criss- cross pattern in the flesh in half- inch ( 1.3- cm) cubes, cutting down to the skin. Use a spoon to lift out the cubes and transfer them to a salad bowl.
5. Sprinkle the avocado lightly with salt and toss gently with a fork. Add the dressing and toss again.
6. When the tomatoes and cucumber have sat for 30 minutes, pat them dry with paper towels and add them to the bowl with the avocado. Add the lettuce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and use your hands to toss the salad very gently just until the leaves are coated. Serve immediately.