Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! The Salad Palooza is the mother of all Pot Luckys! What a feast! What a gathering! What fierce women bound together by emulsified vinaigrettes! Ok, there were other things to unite over and celebrate. And this GNO (Girls Night Out) took things to a whole next level. My pal and blog bestie Stacie pulled out all the stops gathering up the gals for a gorgeous summer night at her lakeside cottage. The only call to action was salads – home-made, of course – and to try and not bring duplicates. Sign Up Genius makes it easy to keep track of choices made and helps weed out repeats. Above is Amey’s yumster Charred Peaches & Onions, with watercress, candied bacon and chevre. So good!
Avocado & Tomato Salad with Almonds and a Tarragon Balsamic; Gourmet Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Pot Luckys, for those readers that are new, are my answer to the dreaded pot luck. The emphasis is on the Lucky. Menus are curated around a theme and the goal is to avoid the Velveeta cube with frilly pick. Don’t think you are fooling anyone by topping that cube with a chunk of Slim Jim. That does NOT make it special. I’m on to you. I know, I know not everyone that you want (HAVE?) to invite cooks, so there are definitely jobs for them, too….How much wine CAN you carry? Do my dishes – yes, please. Set up? Break Down? Keep my drink cold? Yes, Yes, and Yes.
In addition to the main theme – salads this time – there is always room for an app or two, a signature drink and of course dessert. How much do you love these cheese wafers below? Someone does:) They remind me of Christmas parties, warm from the oven. I have a real soft spot for them.
We’ve done about a dozen Pot Luckys so far with a good list of more to come. Some of my favorites include fajitas, soup exchange, sliders, and a nautical theme. For details on how to host your own, link here. Depending on the party (8 kinds of meatloaf and 6 flavors of soup), you can plan on leftovers for your freezer. But for other themes, like salad palooza, you can expect the flowers to get licked right off the dish, with nothing but amazing memories to take away.
That middle salad in the large wooden bowl is mine. In case you missed the curried avocado dressing, I’m sharing it again below. This dressing can do just about anything – it’s a real workhorse. But keep scrolling – there are alot more great salad ideas below the recipe!
This is the kind of dressing you can slather on anything and everything. It is a game changer for a quiet romaine and it balances out the earthiness of a strong bitter green like kale. Slap it on a sammy, add it to a salad jar, or dunk your veggies in it.
Ingredients
Scale
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, cut into chunks
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water, or as needed
Instructions
In a small sauté pan, toast the cumin, coriander and turmeric for about one minute, until fragrant.
With the motor running, drop the garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Turn off and add the avocados, pulsing a few times to a chunky puree. Add the vinegar, toasted spices, salt and peppers and pulse several times until combined.
With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until smooth, adding water as needed to desired consistency.
Notes
Makes 2 1/2 cups. Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.
This dressing is designed for a hearty green and grain salad, so is aggressively seasoned. If you want to use this creamy green goodness in a more delicate dish, cut back on the spices and garlic a bit.
If you don’t have white balsamic, use another mildly flavored and light colored vinegar, like rice vinegar.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Category:Dressing
Method:Food Processor
Cuisine:American
Meanwhile back at the party, the fun continues….
Word must have gotten out that Cobb is one of my favorites – avocado, bacon, blue cheese, cucumbers, eggs, tomatoes, chicken, spinach – what could be bad?
You will be amazed how creative guests can be when challenged to pull out all the stops. At least I was – once again! I have been to many a party where there were three or four versions of crunchy pea salad or watermelon & feta, but nothing close to overlap occurred here. In lieu of Sign Up Genius, Stacie set up a private facebook page and made a few suggestions, and then guests weighed in on what they had in mind. It really sparked the imagination. Farmers’ Market finds reigned supreme.
Penne with Chicken, Zucchini, Tomatoes and Corn; Red Skin Potato Salad with Prosciutto; 7 layer Salad.
And bacon – you can never go wrong with bacon. Lest you think these were some girly spa salads, look again. While my salad was vegan, it was hearty and robust and chock-full of plant-based protein, while still feeling indulgent. The variety of colors, textures, flavors and aromas across the buffet was extraordinary.
Go ahead and admit it: you are just a little jealous that the egss in the salad below were just laid. AmIRite?
Apple Cole Slaw; Farm Fresh (no really – straight from the hen house) Egg Salad; Grapes & Pecans.
Thanks to Stacie for hosting and recruiting so many wonderful women who know how to spin a salad.
Chicken Salad with Grapes & Pecans; Greek Zoodle Salad; Mediterranean Shrimp Salad with Artichoke Hearts.
Did you see a salad here that you’d like to try? If so, leave a comment below and I’d be happy to bring more of these recipes to life. Did you know I used to create recipes for CNN and Burt Wolf interviewing chefs around the globe? I’d watch the 60-second edited video and create a tasty recipe that matched all the action. Shhh – top secret. I’ve already said too much.
With pretty much all 19 bowls licked clean, blueberry pie sent us out and on our merry way. I’ll be dreaming about this feast for summers to come. Many thanks to all that made this night so special.
That glow is just a reflection from this sunset. I swear it!
Having a German grandmother exposed me to vinegar-style potato salad from an early age. Don’t get me wrong, we had our share of mayo-based summer spuds too, but I developed a taste for the briny acidity and mustard of German-style potato salads at a very early age. What I didn’t see at that time however, growing up in Southern Indiana, was roasted potato salad…only boiled taters in our tater salads. It was only after I developed some culinary chops that I realized the beauty of roasted potatoes…well, TBH, roasted everything. Not only does roasting develop a bit of sweetness from caramelizing the natural carbohydrates, but it saves you from ditching all those wonderful nutrients that are lost when draining the water.
I am able to find tiny marble-sized potatoes both at the farmers market and in the grocery store. There are several brands at the supermarket, including The Little Potato Company. They offer an assortment of cherry-sized fresh creamer potatoes…Baby Boomer, Blushing Belle, Little Charmers, Chilean Splash, among them. If you can’t find a small potato in your market, I recommend roasting new potatoes whole and cutting to size once they have cooled. Not only does it better hold the nutrients, but it also helps keep them a bit creamier which is a good thing in salads. If you were making an oven-roasted side dish, you might want the added golden surfaces from a pre-cut potato. It’s a matter of personal taste, so go with what you know. A whole larger potato will definitely increase cooking time, so keep that in mind.
Now is the perfect time to think about preserving the late summer bounty of tomatoes, so I am counting on you to look back to the post You’ll Thank Me in the Winter Oven-Dried Tomatoes. If you don’t have any on hand and aren’t ready to work on your winter supply, either substitute with sun-dried tomatoes (so inferior!!) or just use fresh tomatoes for the whole recipe, either the heirloom cherries called for in the recipe or chopped Romas or Beefs, enough to make up the one cup tomato total (1/2 cup dried + 1/2 cup fresh). Don’t forget to adjust seasonings, especially salt, if you are only using fresh. The oven-dried tomatoes will bring salt from the prep, so I have cut back on the salt in the recipe in anticipation.
If you are so lucky as to have leftover roasted potato salad, try adding it to a breakfast quesadilla along with scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and a little avocado, all sandwiched between flour tortillas. And be sure to keep my number handy because I’m gonna wanna show up for that!
This roasted potato salad highlights the potato-y-ness of fresh-dug new potatoes, often lost with boiling. Being a just-say-nay-to-mayo gal, I love the bright flavors of lemon juice with lemon oil. It’s a partay in your mouth! You’re invited.
Ingredients
Scale
Vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons lemon olive oil or EVOO
1/4 teaspoon salt (you will need more if using fresh tomatoes in lieu of oven-dried or sun-dried)
1/2 cup halved heirloom cherry tomatoes (or use 1 cup of either oven-dried or fresh)
4 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
Make the Vinaigrette:
Whisk together the ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
Make the Salad:
Preheat oven to 425oF. Drizzle just enough olive oil over potatoes to coat very lightly and toss to combine. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast until tender, about 13 – 15 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes with the edamame, both kinds of tomatoes, bacon, scallions, parsley and chives.
Toss with the dressing and refrigerate until serving time. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
About a zillion years ago, I opened New World Grill, a great little American bistro tucked into New York City’s theater district. We had what I still consider today to be an acid test Caesar salad. It was served in a pre-chilled bowl which was kinda fancy for a tiny neighborhood location (that would go on to garner some epic reviews, BTDub). With a light and fluffy dressing, it was all you would want a Caesar salad to be. The croutons were house-made and crusted with Parmesan. We also used red romaine which wasn’t really a thing yet. It got so I couldn’t order Caesar anywhere else because that salad was that damn good.
The fluffiness of the dressing came from an emulsified yolk-based aioli. Most bad Caesars suffer from heavy, oily dressing. Tableside Caesar salads are often the worst offenders. But in thinking about that today and for home use, I thought…why not take the egg out and put it on top? Poached egg toppers are kind of an obsession these days (okay, maybe it’s just me that’s obsessed.) And a Caesar dressing that is made egg-free can be stored a lot longer than one with a raw egg in it. Hence the “deconstructed” in the recipe title!! By pouring the oil in a thin stream into a blender or processor with the motor running, you can still emulsify the dressing, even without the egg. Just be sure to pour it slowly.
To really set this Caesar salad apart from the sad sack versions, I am putting some char on the leaves. Romaine is a sturdy lettuce and holds together well on the fire. I love the Little Gems that are sold in the supermarket in a six-pack, but hearts of romaine would also do well. Just split either size lengthwise, and brush the cut sides with a little olive oil before placing on the grill for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, or until you see the first signs of wilt/char and some nice grill marks. In that short amount of time, the romaine will pick up some nice smoky flavor.
Feel free to use any good grating cheese. I used Manchego, but Parmesan or Pecorino would also work well. This is chef’s choice. Once you have made the dressing, it’s a no-recipe recipe. I know how much you love those. You’re welcome. Store-bought croutons are fine, too. You are really welcome!
Sometimes it’s hard to get a good Caesar salad. Look no further. Deconstructing the dressing – by putting the poached egg atop the salad – and grilling the romaine sets this salad apart.
Ingredients
Scale
Caesar Dressing:
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 anchovy fillets, salt-packed, rinsed and patted dry (see notes below)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Salad:
6-pack of Little Gems baby romaine or 3 hearts of romaine
Olive oil to drizzle on romaine
6 eggs
Chunk of hard grating cheese like Manchego
1 cup seasoned croutons (optional/more or less to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt, like Maldon
Instructions
Make the Caesar dressing:
In a blender, add the Parmesan, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, anchovy fillets, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend.
With the motor running, pour the oil in in a thin stream, until incorporated and emulsified.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Makes 3/4 cup. You will need about half for this recipe. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Make the salad:
Split the Little Gems or romaine hearts lengthwise. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
Place cut-side down on a hot grill until charred, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a chilled serving platter and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Poach eggs. A drop of white vinegar added to the simmering water helps keep the whites from going rogue. I love these OXO poaching cups! You put them in simmering water and drop the egg through the solid top half and the water circulates through the holes in the bottom. The silicone provides the perfect barrier to give you that extra nano-second needed to really corral the whites. It’s a flawless technique.
Assemble:
Drizzle the Caesar dressing across the grilled romaine. Using a vegetable peeler, slice shards of Manchego on top and scatter croutons around. Top the salad with poached eggs.
Season with flaky salt, like Maldon, and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
If you can’t find salt-packed, use anchovies packed in oil. Rinse them well, then cover them with kosher salt. Set aside for 10 minutes. Rinse well again, and pat dry. This will wick out the fishy oils and just leave sea-flavor. You can of course omit them, but they add that unctuous umami that is hard to achieve in a salad dressing.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Category:Salad
Method:Grilling
I have somewhat recently acquired the OXO Good Grips Silicone Egg Poaching Set, and it has truly upped my game as an egg poacher. You would think that after countless brunches at the restaurant, I’d be a blindfolded, one-armed egg poacher, but I am occasionally challenged by rogue egg whites. True, a drop of white vinegar added to the simmering water always helps keep the whites in check. But with these collapsible, stackable egg cups, all you have to do is put them in enough simmering water to reach a mark on the cup, and then drop the egg through the solid top half, leaving the water to circulate through the holes in the bottom. The silicone provides the perfect barrier to give you that extra nano-second needed to really corral the whites. It’s a flawless technique. And so much better for you than the aluminum inserts my Mom used in her egg poaching pan. Bonus: they are dishwasher safe.
If you have not yet grilled lettuce, give this a whirl. When the first Zagat Guide came out after we opened, the only comment next to New World Grill was “some things shouldn’t be grilled.” I could not disagree more!
