Herbaceous Salad Bowl

Hildegard von Bingen, in her book Physica, gives a recipe for making a salad "Whence, one who wishes to eat it should first temper it with dill, vinegar, or garlic, so that these suffuse in it a short time before it is eaten. Tempered in this way, lettuce strengthens the brain and furnishes good digestion."

Many people discover that freshly grown produce tastes far superior to that which is purchased in grocery stores. There's nothing like going out into your own garden and picking fresh tomatoes, carrots, lettuce and herbs and consuming them in a salad moments after they have been harvested. In lieu of having a garden of your own you can purchase your salad ingredients from a local farmer's market, road side farm stand or health food store. When I don't have enough variety of herbs and vegetables to choose from in my own garden I make a trip to my local health food store where all the produce they sell is organically grown.

The salad recipes in this article are hearty enough to be served as a meal along with rolls or breadsticks and an ice cold drink. Use smaller portions of these salads as a first course start to your next dinner party or family gathering.

Asian Salad with Ginger Teriyaki Dressing
Natural sesame seeds have a black or dark brown colored outer hull. The sesame seeds commonly sold in the supermarket have had this hull removed giving the seeds their characteristic light beige color. Sesame seeds are pressed to create sesame oil which is used in many Asian style dishes such as in the dressing for this salad.

3 cups iceberg lettuce
3 cups romaine lettuce
1 cup red cabbage - shredded
One (10 ounce) can mandarin oranges - drained
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups chow mein noodles
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces. Add the lettuce and all the remaining ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss well. Drizzle with 1/3 cup of the dressing and toss to coat well. Offer your guests extra dressing served on the side in a small bowl.

For the dressing:
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic - minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Makes 1 cup of dressing.Leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Medieval Salad Bowl
This salad includes herbal ingredients that were typically grown in European gardens during the Middle Ages. Fresh borage adds a mild cucumber like flavor to this recipe.

Celtic warriors were known to drink wine flavored with borage to give them courage before going into battle to fight their enemies. Borage was also known in the Middle Ages as the herb of gladness and was thought to enhance ones mood in a positive manner.

For the salad:
6 cups lettuce - torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon borage flowers
1 tablespoon spearmint - chopped fine
1 tablespoon sage - chopped fine
1 tablespoon parsley - chopped fine
1 tablespoon fennel leaves- chopped fine
1 tablespoon marjoram - chopped fine
1 tablespoon chervil - chopped fine
1 tablespoon lovage - chopped fine

Add the lettuce, borage flowers and herbs to a large bowl and toss together. Toss with some of the dressing prior to serving. Serve with additional dressing offered on the side.

For the dressing:
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 cloves garlic - minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk together until well blended. Use to dress the medieval salad. Makes 1 ½ cups of dressing. Leftover dressing can be stored for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Chili Dressing
Cayenne pepper, which is the dried and ground fruit of the chili pepper plant, is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Use cayenne to turn up the heat in your love life, it will certainly add a nice spicy bite to your meals. Cayenne pepper also has a myriad of health benefits, it is an antioxidant and will help you maintain a healthy digestive tract by stimulating gastric secretions which will also help to reduce excess gas.

I like to serve this salad with a pitcher of fresh, cold limeade and a bowl of tortilla chips for a wonderful meal to enjoy on a hot and steamy day. A less spicy version of the dressing can be made by eliminating the hot pepper sauce.

For the salad:
6 cups lettuce
1 cup corn
One (15 ounce) can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 cup tomatoes - diced
1/3 cup red bell peppers - seeded and diced
1/3 cup green bell peppers - seeded and diced
1/3 cup yellow bell peppers - seeded and diced
8 ounces grilled chicken - chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Add all the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl and toss well. Add some of the dressing to the salad prior to serving and toss well. Offer additional dressing on the side if desired.

For the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup fresh cilantro - minced
1 tablespoon lime juice

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Use to dress the southwest salad. Makes approximately 1 ¼ cups dressing. Leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola and Bacon
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese. It is the mold which runs in veins throughout the cheese and that has a deep midnight blue color which gives the cheese its characteristic flavor and aroma. Other varieties of blue cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton can be used to make this salad. Use whichever variety suits your tastes.

I like to serve this salad at barbecues and picnics that we host at our house. The undressed salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for two or three hours if necessary, any longer and the spinach may begin to wilt.

For the salad:
One (12 ounce) package bacon - minced
One (5 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
2 cups red onions - peeled, cut in half and sliced
One (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
One (4 ounce) package crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Place the bacon into a large frying pan and cook until well browned. Place the cooked bacon on to a paper towel lined plate. When the bacon has cooled down crumble it into small pieces and set aside. Add the spinach to a large salad bowl. Add the onions, mushrooms, cheese and crumbled bacon and toss well. Toss with the dressing just prior to serving.

Spinach salad dressing:
This recipe for spinach salad dressing has been in our family for years. My mom (Judy Short) says she got the recipe from her mom (Beatrice Swift) who obtained it from a friend in Rochester, New York circa 1950. The recipe makes a sweet and creamy dressing which receives rave reviews whenever it is served at parties.

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cider vinegar

In a small bowl add all the ingredients and whisk until well blended and the dressing is smooth and creamy. Leftovers can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad with Salad Burnet
The first part of the scientific name for walnuts (Juglans) derives from the Latin Jovis glans meaning regal nut. At one time these nuts were believed to be a food fit only for kings and not meant for the common peasants. The second part of the scientific name of this nut is regia from the Latin regalis meaning of a monarch or royal.

In ancient Rome the groom would throw the nuts to his guests as part of the wedding ceremony. This nut throwing tradition symbolized the groom becoming a man as the nuts were thought to be a symbol of fertility and would help the groom to produce lots of healthy offspring. The nuts were also thought to be capable of warding off malicious forces such as the evil eye, witchcraft, and lightning.

For the salad:
6 cups mixed lettuce (iceberg, romaine, leaf)
¼ cup salad burnet - chopped fine
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 cup walnuts - chopped
1/3 cup blue cheese - crumbled

Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to a large salad bowl. Add the salad burnet, garlic, walnuts and blue cheese and toss well.

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use to drizzle over the salad. Leftover salad dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Caesar Salad
The Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini (1896-1956) is credited with the creation of the Caesar salad. He supposedly invented the salad in 1924 at his restaurant which was located in Tijuana, Mexico. Whatever the precise history of this salad it has become a classic dish available at many modern-day restaurants. I can actually get my children to eat most salads by tossing it with their favorite Caesar dressing.

Make sure to purchase freshly shredded parmesan cheese to use in this recipe. Do not use the canned parmesan cheese that looks like powder.

For the salad:
6 cups romaine lettuce
2 cups croutons
1 cup parmesan cheese - shredded

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and add to a large salad bowl. Toss in the croutons and cheese.

For the dressing:
6 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon white pepper
One (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets in oil
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup olive oil

Add the garlic, white pepper, anchovy fillets, egg yolks, white wine, heavy cream and lemon juice to a blender and process until a smooth paste is formed. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil and process until a creamy dressing is formed. Makes approximately 1 ½ cups dressing. Use to dress the Caesar salad.

Creamy Herb Dressing
Marjoram is a symbol of love, honor and happiness. This dressing positively makes me happy when I taste it on a salad of fresh lettuce, herbs and vegetables. I also like to use this dressing as a dip served along with a platter of fresh vegetables and offer this snack as an appetizer to my guests whenever I am entertaining at home.

This dressing goes well with a variety of salad ingredients. For a creamy blue cheese dressing add ½ cup of crumbled blue cheese to this dressing and omit the salt.

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram - minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano - minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley - minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk well. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour prior to serving. Makes 1 ½ cups of dressing.

Edible Weed Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing
The French called dandelion dent de lion which literally translates as tooth of the lion. This herb was known by the folk name lion's tooth which was descriptive of the shape of the leaves.

The young leaves of chicory, dandelion and sorrel can be used as a mild spring tonic. The leaves of these slightly bitter leaves help to stimulate ones appetite and are an aid to getting your digestive juices flowing. The greens included in this salad are usually considered weeds by most non gardening people. Never harvest weeds from the side of the road as these plants may be contaminated from vehicle exhaust fumes. Never harvest weeds in the wild unless you are absolutely certain of their identification and you have the permission of the land owner and you know that the field hasn't been sprayed with any harmful chemicals.

The best way to harvest weeds is to look in your own yard. I am lucky in that I have purslane growing wild all over my yard and can harvest it any time I want. I had to buy seeds from a garden center to establish my patches of dandelion, chicory and sorrel greens. Always practice organic gardening techniques in your garden especially when it's food you intend to eat.

For the salad:
1/4 cup purslane leaves
1/4 cup dandelion leaves - chopped
1/4 cup chicory leaves - chopped
1/4 cup sorrel leaves - chopped
5 cups lettuce (iceberg, romaine or leaf) - torn into bite size pieces

Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss well. Add the dressing prior to serving.

For the dressing:
1 cup walnut oil
¼ cup sherry
½ cup champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons sweet basil - minced
½ teaspoon salt - optional

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use this dressing to drizzle over the Edible Weed Salad. Makes 1 ¾ cups of dressing. If you can not find champagne vinegar at your grocery store you may substitute plain rice vinegar.

Sources
Bown, Deni. The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2001.

Dobelis, Inge (editor). Magic and Medicine of Plants. Reader's Digest Association, 1986.

Throop, Priscilla (trans.) Hildegard von Bingen's Physica; The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing. Healing Arts Press, 1998. Hildegard (1098-1179) was a mystic, healer and Benedictine abbess.