The Salad Book

Spring is the time to imagine the early produce from the salad garden - a garden I never plant but rather find a good green grocer for a proxy. This book is intended for the cook who will actually plant the salad garden - it begins with a chapter on gardens with marvelous photographs of salad garden - formal and informal - with concrete design and care information.The strength of this book, however, is in its description of salad ingredients which it divides into salad leaves, salad vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. Each group is subdivided: salad leaves, for example, is divided into lettuce leaves (three groups), chicory, endives, rocket, dandelion, corn salad, purslane, spinach, sorrel, good King Henry, cresses and brassicas. Other groups are as broadly covered, descriptions including advice on the appropriate uses.The salad recipes themselves are not particularly inventive. However, they are practical and little touches make them visually spectacular i.e. good "company" or "special" meal salads. For example, a typical fresh mozzarella and tomato salad is paired with pesto and a few mixed leaves and a bit of bread for an elegant first course (or full meal in my house). There is an interesting green lentil dressing, a cucmber mousse, a dandelion and sorrel salad with bacon, potatoes, and croutons.In short, this book provides a basis for exploring a variety of salad ingredients until you are comfortable mixing nearly everything your green grocer supplies.