Salads

Salads have come a long way from the days when they mostly meant a plate of chopped iceberg lettuce at the start of a meal. A generation ago we had access to three or four kinds of greens, but we now can find dozens. And today a salad is as likely to be a main course, or even a course served after the main.

Most salads fall into a few convenient categories. Green salads are simple mixtures of greens or a single green. There are also garnished green salads, in which chicken, grilled tuna, or a similar item is added to convert the salad into something more substantial. So-called simple salads showcase a single ingredient, such as carrots or beets, tossed with a sauce. What the French call American salads are made from various ingredients cut into pieces and tossed with a variety of dressings. Finally, composed salads are those in which two or more ingredients are presented separately on a single plate or platter.