GREEN VEGETABLES IN SALADS
Green vegetables for salads should be blanched in boiling
salted water, then shocked in ice water, so that they retain
their bright color. Blanching them improves their texture
and takes away their raw edge. Make sure to dry them
carefully before adding them to a salad—excess water can
ruin a balanced vinaigrette.
FRUITS IN SALADS
Fruits offer many ways to add textural and flavor contrast to
a regular green salad (as opposed to a fruit salad). Here are
the categories I usually consider:
- Raw fruits are best when crisp and slightly acidic, like
thinly sliced apples, pears, or young mangoes. Citrus
suprêmes (citrus segments that have been cut away from
the membranes; see “How to Cut Citrus Suprêmes,”
below) are delicious in salads. - Dried fruits are quick and easy, providing concentrated
bursts of sweetness and flavor in a green salad. I
especially like the sweet-tart chew of dried cranberries, but
don’t overlook raisins, currants, dried apples, apricots,
figs, and prunes. - Pan-roasted fruits caramelized in a bit of butter and sugar
(see here) add richness and complexity to lighter salads. I
particularly like the combination of pan-roasted apples
and pears with spicy greens. Use compact, crisp fruit, like
apples, pears, quinces, or firm stone fruits.