Salads

Because the number and variety of salad combinations is nearly endless, it is helpful to divide salads into categories in order to understand how they are produced. For the pantry chef, the most useful way to classify salads is by ingredients: green salads, vegetable salads, fruit salads, and so on. This is because production techniques are slightly different for each kind. We use this classification when we discuss specific recipes later in this chapter.

Before the pantry chef can produce the salads, first he or she must decide exactly what salads should be made. Therefore, you should know what kinds of salad are best for which purposes. For this reason, salads are also classified according to their function in the meal. Keep in mind that there are no exact dividing lines between the types of salad discussed here. For example, a salad suitable as the first course of a dinner may also be an excellent main course on a luncheon menu.