Salad may not be the centerpiece of a holiday meal, but they can still steal the show.
Salads may not be the centerpiece of holiday dinners but they are a good way to add seasonal colors and flavors to the spread. Next time you're assigned to bring the salad to a holiday meal, don't sweat it. With a few simple salad tricks up your sleeve, you'll be able to turn a bag of mixed greens into a dish that everyone will enjoy.
Christmas/New Year's Eve
Hold the lettuce and make your Christmas salad a mix of warm acorn squash, turnips, sweet potatoes or baked apple slices. Top it with rich, seasonal ingredients, like candied nuts, roasted chestnuts, rosemary, blue or goat cheese. For something quick and cheerful, mix up a bowl of Christmas colors; green baby spinach, crumbled goat cheese and dried red cranberries, topped with a simple vinaigrette with a touch of maple. The sweet berries and salty cheese play off of each other beautifully.
Thanksgiving
A salad of colorful, roasted vegetables takes advantage of the harvest season.
Mix roasted chunks of pumpkin, sweet potato, beets, fennel and red onion into salad greens. For garnish, use any combination of poppy or pumpkin seeds, walnuts, apple or bosc pear slices, lentils, pine nuts or currants. Use hearty cheeses, such as shaved parmesan, grilled halumi or goat cheese. For something special, oven-dry small cubes of sourdough, rye or pumpernickel bread to make your own croutons.
Easter or Passover
Sweet cherry tomatoes add a burst of flavor and color to Easter salads.
Embrace the fresh flavors of spring with any combination of arugula, radicchio, baby spinach or fris e leaves, tomatoes, radish, spring onion, snap peas, fava beans and mint. Cheese should be light and fresh, like buffalo mozzarella, bocconcini or feta. Top the salad with poached shrimp or crab or individual skewers of grilled shrimp.
Hanukkah
Choose lively and flavorful ingredients, like endive, watercress, potato latkes, smoked salmon, anchovy, avocado, white beans and escarole. For a traditional Israeli salad, use eggplant, garlic and peppers that have been roasted with cumin and serve it with warm pita bread and hummus.
Cinco de Mayo
A rich, creamy Baja slaw is a perfect dish to accompany a Cinco de Mayo meal.
The May 5th Mexican holiday is a fun one to celebrate, no matter where you live. To make a traditional Baja Cabbage Slaw, simply shred half a head of green cabbage and toss it with a dressing of 2 tbsp. of mayonnaise, a 1/2 tsp. of fresh lime juice and two drops of jalapeno sauce. For something really colorful, mix up any combination of tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, onion, grilled corn, peppers and top with fresh lime juice, grilled white fish and crispy corn chips.
Chinese New Year
Start with bok choy and build a Chinese New Year holiday salad that bursts with flavor.
Make a warm salad to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Wilted watercress or baby bok choy works well as a base. Add spicy marinated tofu, shiitake mushrooms, lotus root or Chinese broccoli. Top with crispy noodles, crispy pork skin, sweet candied walnuts, poached duck egg, sesame seeds and a dressing of ginger, garlic and sesame oil.
Fourth of July
Potatoes should be appearing at the farmer's market just in time for Fourth of July celebrations.
Make Fourth of July salads simple, fresh and easy to transport to a BBQ or picnic. Pair slices of hot house tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. Potato salad is a staple, but you can shake it up with Yukon Gold potatoes, crispy prosciutto and a sprinkle of truffle oil.
Tags: Chinese Year, Fourth July, goat cheese, baby spinach, buffalo mozzarella, centerpiece holiday