Identifying Salad Greens

1
Identifying Salad Greens

• Lettuce Persian royalty served lettuce 2500
  years ago
• Boston
• Iceberg
• Leaf
• Romaine or Cos used in Caesar salad

2
Identifying Salad Greens

• Baby Lettuces often less bitter, more tender
• Mesclun mixture of baby greens
• Brune dHiver
• Lola Rosa
• Red Sails
• Pirate
• Red oak

3
Identifying Salad Greens

• Chicories
• Belgium Endive whole leaves can be filled with a
  spread for an hors doeuvre / sauté or grill
  whole
• Curly Endive or frisée add for texture flavor
• Escarole thick leaves, slightly bitter
• Radicchio looks like small red cabbage, but
  softer

4
Identifying Salad Greens

• Other Salad Greens and Ingredients
• Dandelion
• Mâche lambs lettuce, mild flavor
• Arugula rocket Cabbage family spicy, peppery,
  salad, sandwich
• Sorrel lemon flavor /tart soup, sauce
• Spinach
• Sprouts
• Watercress dark green, small round leaves,
  peppery, packed with ice
• Edible flowers Colorful, sprinkle on salad,
  garnish
• Fresh herbs Cilantro, dill, basil cut
  chiffonade, add to salad

5
Salad Greens

• Nutrition
• Virtually no fat
• Low calorie
• Iron, Fiber, Vitamins A and C
• Purchasing and storing salad greens
• Storing
• Keep between 34-38 F
• Avoid ethylene gas from tomatoes, apples as
  causes wilt
• Perishable lettuce 24 heads/case fluctuating
  price
• Wash just before using

6
Micro Greens
7
Preparing Salad Greens

• Tearing and cutting
• Washing
• Drying spinner, absorbent cloth
• Mixing with dressings

8
Washing Salad Greens
9
Vinaigrette Dressings

• Also known as basic French dressing
• Ingredients standard 31
• Oil canola, olive, walnut
• Vinegar may replace with citrus juice
• Other flavoring ingredients
• Temporary Emulsion

10
Basic Vinaigrette Dressing
11
Emulsified Dressings

• Mayonnaise lecithin surrounds oil droplets keeps
  them from regrouping
• Mayonnaise-based dressings purchase
  commercially in gallon jars
• Many chefs prepare homemade use olive oil to
  prepare aïoli
• 1 egg yolk can emulsify 7 oz oil
• Recommend using pasteurized eggs

12
Preparation Methods

• Green Salads
• Tossed salads
• Matching dressings and salad greens for example
  sturdy Romaine with blue cheese, Caesar dressing
  or mesclun greens with canola, raspberry
  vinaigrette
• Composed salad components - artistic
• Base (salad liner)
• Body (tofu salad, chicken salad, mixed greens)
• Garnish (adds color, texture, flavor)
• Dressing (only if needed)
• Example Boston lettuce leaf, mixed greens with
  walnuts, duck breast, raspberry vinaigrette
  dressing

13
Plating Composed Salads