Mediterranean Salads and Cold Vegetable Dishes

Many Mediterranean salads are not salads in the sense we think of that word, as mixtures of greens doused with dressings. Rather they are more like southern Italian antipasti—spiced or sweetened dishes of cooked or raw vegetables, bowls of seasoned olives, pureed olive oil-rich legumes, all served at the beginning of a meal to excite the diner's appetite and stimulate the palate.

The North African coast is a rich agricultural region where numerous rich, dense, fruit and vegetable-based salads were developed to preserve the harvest. Here, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, pumpkins, and edible wild greens are individually reduced to thick aromatic purees, then served cool or at room temperature. Vegetables such as radishes, cucumbers, carrots, and beets are shredded and macerated overnight in fragrant waters. Many of these salads are seasoned with spices to achieve balance, harmonize flavors, and preserve them for up to a week.