Food is more than just something that tastes good. Other elements that shape our perception of taste include temperature, color, and texture. This is especially true when it comes to salad. Once for a party, a friend brought a salad that consisted of sliced iceberg lettuce with grated carrots on top. What did that lack? It lacked color and texture. A salad that carries visual interest need not include many ingredients, just a little imagination.
Here are a few suggestions on how to add a little sparkle to the simple green salad:
1. Start with greens. This can be spinach, varieties of green leaf, red leaf, or green mixes
2. Add two or more items that are NOT green. That can include something as simple as thinly sliced purple onion and grated carrots.
3. Add seeds or nuts. These can be expensive but just a small amount of higher priced nuts really make a visual statement for your salad. Lesser priced sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas also add an extra crunch.
4. Pair the salad with home made dressing. I didn't grow up with this. My mom usually made ranch from a packet. (This still tastes WAY better than ranch from a bottle) I used to buy salad dressing but find that it is much cheaper to make my own. I have a larger variety of options to choose from according to my taste buds and what I am cooking. I will include two of my favorite dressings in the next two posts. I am still trying to find a good recipe for home made ranch. My kids just love it!
Enjoy!
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