Whenever we visit our friends for dinner, we offer to bring a dish. 90% Of the time, they ask me to bring salad. They love my salads. Ironically, I don’t really even eat salad at home. But, because I belong to a CSA, I always have fresh organic veggies in my fridge that need to be used. So in the salad they go… whatever is in season!

How to be Neighborly: When someone asks for salad, make it a good salad.

So, what makes a good salad? Well, here’s a couple tips:

• A salad is not lettuce alone. It needs friends.
• Any good salad should have:
  • Color (either multiple, or all one shade)
  • Texture (nuts or homemade croutons)
  • A featured veggie or fruit
  • Something that supports the featured veggie
  • Homemade dressing

I try to think of my ingredients like wine pairings. You want to pick foods that naturally go together. Here are some classic examples.

Classic Salad Combo’s

• Cantaloupe, Avocado, Cucumbers and Bacon
• Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Cheese, Balsamic, Croutons
• Beets, Goat Cheese, Walnuts
• Cilantro, Pepita’s, Avocado, Queso Fresca
• Orange, Avocado, Walnuts
• Strawberries, Pecans, Goat Cheese, Balsamic
• Kale, Pine Nuts, Parmesan

Homemade Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp vinegar or citrus or both(*)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (**)
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

(*) For sweet salads, I prefer balsamic, or vinegar sweetened with 1 tbsp honey. For more savory salads, I prefer champagne vinegar.

(**) For olive oil, I have amassed a huge collection of flavors, but my go-to flavors are basil, rosemary, citrus (lemon or orange) and regular.