Top Left: arugula and baby kale topped with redishes, peaches, strawberries, quesillo and croutons — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper and a drizzle of honey
Top Right: bibb lettuce with fresh strawberries, blueberries, red onion, walnuts and fet cheese — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
Lower Left: arugula, topped with red onion, heirloom cherry tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella and olives — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper
Lower Right: arugula and a spring mix, topped with strawberries, orange slices, slivered almonds and sunflower seeds — dressed with a honey dijon vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, crushed garlic, salt and pepper

Making a salad can be a creative way to start playing in the kitchen because you can easily combine flavors, test your seasoning abilities and get to know the ingredients you enjoy — or better yet — the ones you don’t enjoy. There is nothing to burn, your likelihood of cutting yourself is pretty slim unless you’re not used to wielding a knife at all and you can fish in your pantry — or stock it up — to have a creative cooking playdate with yourself.

My love affair with salads runs deep. I know, I know it’s strange, but it’s true. For the last 24 years I’ve been preparing what I believe to be mouthwatering salads that are vibrant in color, full of flavor and fun to eat. Yes, salads ca be fun to eat! I’ve often heard people say, yes, even my own friends, “I hate salads.” But I truly feel there is salad hate in this world because we’ve been conditioned to believe a salad means wet lettuce with shredded carrots, pale tomatoes and watery cucumbers. Or conversely, that a salad is big, full of cheese and drenched in creamy dressings — containing as many — if not more — calories as a Whopper with cheese and fries. Why choose the salad? I get it.

But what if a salad could become your flavor filled, flavor thrilled, best buddy that keeps you full, satisfied, hydrated and balanced? Because, well, a hearty salad can do just that. Really, it can.

Top Left: arugula, topped with a lot of basil, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and toasted bread — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
Top Right: shredded red cabbage, topped with basil and watermelon chunks — dressed with extra virgin olive oil and salt
Lower Left: mandolin sliced cucumbers and radishes with basil and red onion — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
Lower Right: tomato, corn, zucchini, cooked spring peas and basil — dressed with a honey dijon vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, crushed garlic, salt and pepper

Over the summer I prepared daily salads for my family using fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, different varieties of lettuce, crisp radishes, and anything from jarred hearts of palm and artichokes, to olives, an assortment of cheeses and old bread. I prepared no fuss vinaigrettes to dress these salads and they were all crowd pleasers. A salad can start or finish a meal on a sweet note. It can open your appetite or seal the deal and close your tummy like a whopping treat.

Top Left: tuscan kale topped with chicken, apples, dried cranberries and moroccan olives — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper
Top Right: arugula and spinach topped with roasted cauliflower, beets and butternut squash, and candied walnuts — dressed with a honey dijon vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, crushed garlic, salt and pepper
Lower Left: watercress topped with pitted sweet cherries, apricots, cooked quinoa and walnuts — dressed with a sweet + tangy citrus vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, zest of half an orange + the juice of the whole orange, zest of half a lemon + the juice of a whole lemon, pressed garlic, maple syrup, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lower Right: spinach, arugula and watercress, topped with sweet fresh figs and dressed with pesto

I know you’re rolling your eyes but, listen, you’ll only know it if you try it. If you do it. If you commit to salad making as an act of love for yourself. When I lived on the farm in 2001 I found myself and I found salads while I wrote sad journal entries and walked two miles a day because there was no internet at the house. No internet, no TV, no distractions, just me and my friend — a farm with a big kitchen — and trips to the grocery store.

To find your best salad, maybe all you need is a little bit of quiet time, a stocked pantry, a refrigerator for cold storage and a fruit bowl? I think that should get you started on your magical journey — no diary or journaling required.

Top Left: romaine and iceberg lettuce topped with cucumbers, radishes, red onion, artichokes and cannellini beans — dressed with a basic lemon vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt
Top Right: romaine and bibb lettuce topped with hearts of palm, cucumber, red onion, blood orange segments and goat cheese — dressed with a garlic, lemon, herb vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, garlic, parsley, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lower Left: arugula topped with peaches, red onion and walnuts — dressed with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, a touch of hot honey, salt and pepper
Lower Right: romaine, chicory, arugula and spinach topped with radishes, artichokes, kalamata olives, parmigiano reggiano — dressed with a sweetened lemon vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, crushed garlic and salt

Here is your stater kit list for creative salad making at home. I’ve always found it abundantly helpful to think of cooking — and salad making — in a modular fashion — not in terms of a recipe. When my home is stocked, I have a visual feast to create — an empty bowl my canvas and what surrounds me in the kitchen are my tools.

Lettuce will make up the hearty base of your salad, then I suggest loading in veggies and fruits for additional bulk — while Fixin’s are more like your toppings. These items that tend to be more calorically dense, but are also nutritionally stacked (when you use the list below). Then, finally, you can season and dress up your salad real pretty.

To build your salad I suggesting choosing 1-3 lettuces to combine, noting that you want to balance the flavors so I WOULDN’T put arugula, chicory and chard together — but I would combine arugula, romaine and spinach or romaine, chard and bibb. Read the descriptions below and think about it as though your combining dark and light along with textures.

Next, have fun with your add on’s. Select 2-4 to get started and think seasonally when it comes to combining your fruits together.

Fixin’s are like the sprinkles on a big cup of soft serve. Again, have fun! They add texture and bursts of salty and sweet flavor. I’d stick to 2 or 3 tops.

Dressings can rage from more savory options to sweet or even tangy. The base is created with olive oil and an acid of choice. Then you can have fun by adding in seasonings and 1 sweet touch to finish — if you choose to go in that direction.

Lettuce Options

Romaine lettuce: crunchy and crisp
Arugula: peppery with a bite
Boston or Bibb lettuce: soft and buttery
Spinach: dark and hearty
Baby Kale (much more tender than curly kale, which I prefer to cook): small tender leaves
Lacinato Kale (aka, Tuscan or Dinosaur): beautiful blue green leaves that are firm with a lot of texture
Watercress: adorable egg shaped leaves that bite back with a peppery finish
Chicory: bitter and full of texture
Iceberg: pale and watery, and makes a great filler to salads containing other lettuces
Chard: deep green with thick stems, though I prefer it cooked it can be used in salads
Radicchio: rich purple, bitter and has an intensely satisfying bite

Fruit + Veggie Add On’s

Radishes
Cucumbers
Hearts of Palm
Artichokes
Roasted Peppers
Tomatoes
Carrots
Shredded Red Cabbage
Corn
Zucchini
Roasted vegetables: cauliflower, beets, butternut squash
Red Onions
All Berries
Figs
Peaches
Nectarines
Citrus Fruits
Watermelon
Cherries
Pomegranate Seeds
Apples
Pears
Avocado
Herbs: basil, parsley, cilantro
Beans: black, garbanzo, white, cannellini

Fixins’

Walnuts
Almonds
Pecans
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Dried Cranberries
Raisins / Currants
Dried Figs
Dried Apricots
Pine Nuts
Feta Cheese
Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese
Gorgonzola Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella
Pecorino Romano
Parmigiano Reggiano
Olives
Toasted or stale bread
Quinoa
Farro
Rice
CousCous

Dressing / Vinaigrette Ingredients with a link to a few of my favorites here

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
White Balsamic Vinegar
Lemon
Lime
Yogurt
Tahini
Pesto Sauce
Orange Juice
Honey
Hot Honey
Maple Syrup
Dijon Mustard
Whole Grain Mustard
Garlic
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

An Ode To Salads: A Visual Feast + Guide to Flavor