Majida Rashid
A salad is not just a food; it’s a feeling.
– Anonymous
I’m fortunate when it comes to my food columns because I can write about topics of my heart’s desire. But from time to time I call the editor to ask if they want me to write about any particular food. On Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving, I called for that precise reason. However, before asking the question about what to write about in my December column, I started talking about what I planned to serve to eighteen adults, two teenagers and seven children at Thanksgiving.
I said, “And I’ll be cooking everything except turkey. In the past I have also baked turkey but for the last several years I bought a cooked one with all the side dishes it comes with. Last year, my Vietnamese friend took the turkey to a restaurant where they marinated it in spices and then fried it. The resultant meat was succulent. It’s easy and costs almost nothing. I chose that option this year. Our refrigerator cannot accommodate a fifteen-pound turkey. It’s already stocked with Mexican style chicken and lamb that finish right away irrespective of quantity, green beans and caramelized carrots and sultanas for Afghani zamurad pilau.”
“You cook for that many people?” asked the editor.
“Yes. I have even cooked for twenty-five guests and I cook everything on the day of the party,” I said. Then I excitedly added, “Oh, wait! I forgot to mention my salad that everyone loves. I make it just before serving food. I smile even when I’m chopping the vegetables. Guests are drawn to me when I’m mixing in the dressing.”
“That sounds yummy. I would like to make that salad.”
“How about a salad for the December column?” I asked.
“Yes, that would be nice.”
Hurray! I got what I wanted without asking.
This salad requires effort and focus but the reward is in serving and eating it. I buy ingredients only two days prior. A day ahead I wash, dry and chop everything and then refrigerate each ingredient separately in zip-lock bags. The most important thing is to dice everything into same-sized small cubes. Iceberg lettuce is ideal because it’s soft and doesn’t stand out like other lettuces. I chop it just before mixing in the salad so it doesn’t discolor. Middle Eastern stores are best for dried apricots. I avoid using Turkish apricots because they have added sugar. Recently, I stumbled upon a variety from South Africa. It looks and tastes a little sweet and sour, more like the dried apricots I ate growing up in Pakistan.
Important: Set up the table with food before mixing and serving the salad so it remains fresh until the end.
Rainbow Salad
Serves 2-3.
Ingredients
1/4 each of red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers
2 celery stems
2-3 red radishes
2 medium red firm tomatoes
2-3 Persian cucumbers or 1/2 of English cucumber
1-2 long, small carrots
1/4 - 1/2 of medium iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup quartered seedless grapes, preferably black
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
For the dressing
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1-2 tablespoons vinegar
4-6 dried apricots, cut into tiny pieces
1/4-1/2 black pepper
Salt to taste
Soak the pumpkin seeds in olive oil for a day or two.
Directions
For the salad:
Cut each bell pepper into five strips and chop them into small squares.
Slice the celery stems into three small strips. Cut each one into small cubes.
Slice each radish into thin rounds and cut each into four strips. Chop into small cubes.
Halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Leaving one side intact cut each half lengthwise into five or six strips and cut into small cubes.
Quarter each cucumber and carrot lengthwise and cut into small squares.
A little before serving, quarter the lettuce and cut into thin strips.
Before serving
Wear disposable gloves and toss all the vegetables in a big bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.
Gently toss together and add the grapes.
Transfer into a deep white or transparent serving bowl.
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
Serve immediately.
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Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her presentation about her love of food can be viewed on USA Today’s network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0xi566VSPo – We Spread Love Through Food
@Frontiers_Of_Flavor
Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com.
