Salad Days

By Marilyn Kitzes

As any food lover knows, salad is so much more than a mound of greens on a plate. Depending on the ingredients, salads can serve as appetizers, main courses, and when made with fruit, dessert. They’re the ideal creative medium for cooks who delight in nutritious foods—and especially satisfying for those of us who grow our own vegetables. In fact, perhaps more than with any other recipe, fresh produce matters when you’re making salads, and if you can get to your local farmers’ market to buy your ingredients, all the better.

POACHED EGG SALAD WITH LEEKS AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
This simple recipe ingeniously pairs sous vide eggs (the best way to cook eggs, we think!) with steamed leeks. It also calls for homemade croutons made from a sourdough bread and a simple Dijon mustard vinaigrette. To serve, combine the leeks with fresh radish (for a hit of crisp zestiness) and top with the eggs and croutons. Sophisticated and absolutely delicious.

WOOD SKIN HALIBUT & CHICKPEA SALAD
A main course dish that’s light and flavorful, this recipe conjures up a Middle Eastern mood thanks to fiery harissa and fresh lemon. You’ll need cedar paper for this recipe, soaked in white wine and placed with the halibut in a sous vide bath for 17 minutes. The fish is then quickly seared on a non-stick pan. Chickpeas, first soaked overnight, also get the sous vide treatment, and are later tossed with cucumber, fresh parsley, mint, and a harissa vinaigrette. The combination of ingredients is delightful.

MICHEL RICHARD’S TUNA & COMPRESSED WATERMELON SALAD
Pay tribute to the late, great Michel Richard with this inventive salad. Here, compressed watermelon (you’ll need a vacuum sealer) is paired with raw tuna for a simply elegant presentation. These main ingredients shine bright on the palette thanks to a yuzu vinaigrette. All ingredients for the vinaigrette dressing are commonly found in the pantry, with the exception of yuzu juice and xanthan gum. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, Bibb lettuce, and green tobiko for next-level wow.

GRILLED SALAD WITH BEER-HONEY VINAIGRETTE AND GOUDA SPREAD
Impress your taste buds—and any guests—with this flavorful salad. Belgian endive, romaine lettuce, and fennel are prepared to perfection thanks to 45 minutes in a sous vide circulator and 6 minutes on a grill. Served with a fantastic beer-honey vinaigrette and a homemade Gouda spread—that’s also prepared through sous vide—it’s a winning salad that works any time of year.