salad tips

Here are tips for cleaning, storing, and preparing the greens you have selected for your great salad recipe.

Cleaning

How to Wash Greens Place leafy greens in basket of salad spinner. With salad spinner in sink, run cold water through spinner while turning the basket. Repeat once or twice, if necessary, to make sure greens are clean and dry. Pat dry with paper towels, if necessary. If you do not have a salad spinner, rinse greens under cold running water until clean. Then, pat dry with paper towels. How to Wash Fresh Herbs Always wash fresh herbs before use. Rinse small bunches under cold running water, then blot dry. Or when needing to clean a large amount of herbs, fill the sink with cold water and swish the herbs around to remove any dirt. Remove the herbs from the sink and place in a salad spinner to spin dry. Or, place on paper towels and gently blot dry.

Storing

How to store Leafy Greens Store greens wrapped between dry paper towels, if desired, in a perforated plastic bag or loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. How to Store Long Stemmed Herbs Place long-stemmed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro and dill, in a tall glass with the stem ends down. Fill with about an inch of cold water. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use, changing the water every 2 days. Herbs should stay vibrant and fresh for about 5 days.

Preparing

How to Core Lettuce Holding head of lettuce so that bottom, or core end, faces a flat surface, bring the lettuce down hard against the surface to loosen core. Pull out core and discard. How to Prepare Lettuce Remove the core from the head of lettuce, then pull the lettuce apart from the core end and tear into bite-sized pieces. Do not chop tender lettuces, such as butterhead, with a knife since this can cause the lettuce to turn brown around the edges. Less delicate lettuces, such as romaine, can be cut but be sure to use a sharp knife. How to Shred Lettuce Cut head of cored iceberg lettuce in half. Place each half, cut side down, on cutting board. Cut across the halves into thin slices, then separate slices into shreds.

Broccoli Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups broccoli florets

8 slices crisp bacon – crumbled

¼ cup chopped onions

¼ cup raisins

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Mix broccoli, bacon, onion, and raisins.

In a separate bowl mix the dressing well: mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.

Let sit for several hours; add dressing right before serving. 

Grandma’s Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

8 medium red potatoes, cubed (can leave skin on)

4 to 5 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

2/3 cups sour cream

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 ½ teaspoon celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.

Cover and bring to boil; cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drain and cool. Place in a bowl; add eggs.

Combine remaining ingredients; pour over potato mixture and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Yield 8-10 servings.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 box pasta (serves 8). Any kind will do, cooked per directions on box and cooled

1 carton cherry tomatoes, save a few for garnish

1 sm. pack snap peas (about 2 handfuls)

1/2 red onion chopped

4 stalks celery chopped

1 yellow pepper, save 3 slices for garnish, chop rest of pepper

1 can black pitted olives drained

1 square of sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (if you like cheese, use more)

Mix all of the above ingredients together, reserving pieces for garnish.

Pour 1 bottle of Newman's Own: Family Recipe Italian dressing over other ingredients, more if you like it wetter

Spread one package of your favorite croutons over top of mixed pasta

Arrange yellow pepper slices and tomatoes on top of croutons.

Use any veggies that your family or guest would like. The sky's the limit and nothing in the recipe is sacred.