10 favorite things to put into a salad.

...looking again to flickr, since it was such a help last time, I searched my photostream for "salad". wow. apparently, I love salad. I love to photograph salad. I eat a lot of salad. (all true. no new learnings there!) this topic should be an easy one. a good thing as it's evening already on a tuesday that feels somewhat like a monday except that there are just three weekdays left (yikes!!)

my favorite salad (recipe blogged by sara, here)

1. to start, lettuce. yes, I love salads based on pasta, potatoes, rice, green beans, etc. but my first love is lettuce. romaine, mixed baby greens and spinach are special favorites.

2. tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers (like the mix pictured above) or

3. sauteed mushrooms or

4. sauteed pears or

5. sliced oranges, clementines or tangerines. I like to peel the fruit and slice it (parallel to its equator) - think it's prettier that way - and easier to eat. citrus pairs well with strawberries and spinach. or with cucumbers and baby greens. or with whatever lettuce we happen to have the day we have just one orange lying alone in the fruit drawer.

6. cheese. depending on the other ingredients, blue, parmesan or jack.

7. nuts. again, depending on the other ingredients, sliced almonds, sugared pecans or walnuts.

8. bread. cubed and toasted. and even better if it's tossed with garlic and herbs.

9. vinaigrette. I'm partial to ina's version from the paris cookbook (I substitute a scant tablespoon of mayonnaise for the egg). love that it works with any kind of vinegar, so I can craft a version that shows off another ingredient (think blood orange with citrus, pear with pears, balsamic with mushrooms).

10. salt and pepper. too often overused - or overlooked - I think it's critical to use at least a bit of both to bring out the best of whatever ingredients I've used.