As I continue to fight to recover from Covid-19 (Diane has already tested negative and is close to 100%), I’ve been eating plenty of veggies and fruits. While most of my Covid-19 symptoms are more respiration related–cough, sneezes, runny nose–many of my friends who’ve survived Covid-19 warned me that gastro-intestinal problems could be part of the recovery. So I stopped eating meat and focused on a daily regimen of grains and vegetables and fruits–the cherry season produced some delicious crops!
Jess Damuck’s Salad Freak also provided some helpful advice in choosing vegetables and preparing them carefully to avoid most tummy issues. Are you a fan of salads? Do you have a favorite? So far, Covid-19 hasn’t caused any “lower body” problems for me with this approach. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword 8
Well, hello 10
Light, fresh, and truly delicious, or about this book 12
A note on mindfulness 14
What to have on hand, always 17
Setting yourself up for salad success 22
Questions to ask yourself when shopping for salads 26
Washing and storing greens: a guide 27
Music to make salads by 28
Winter 33
Spring 83
Summer 129
Fall 207
All about dressings 252
Condiments, crunchy stuff & other things that go with salad 256
Gratitude list 265
Index 266
I agree with you – this year’s cherry crop has been a really good one.
Yes, we eat a lot of salads. Jackie loves a Caesar salad, so we seem to eat a lot of these. Her latest favorite at home is Ken’s Creamy Caesar With Roasted Garlic. I prefer a non-creamy dressing, but this is OK too. We also have a lot of Greek salads. In fact, we’re going to have Greek food today, and this place makes a really good Horitaki salad (to which Jackie has them add lettuce). There is a place near us that has a sale on all burgers on Mondays, and a 20 ounce ribeye on Wednesday, so we generally go twice a month, once for each. When we share the steak, she gets a Wedge salad to go with it. There are other salads we order in restaurants, like the mozzarella, tomatoes and roasted peppers we get (combined with a house salad) in our favorite Italian restaurant.
So yes, we eat a LOT of salads.
Jeff, Diane and I eat a salad every day. Either Diane prepares them, or we order Take-Out. I make my own Caprese salad from time to time when the tomatoes are fresh and juicy.
Although it didn’t happen to any degree with me the two times I’ve had Covid, some people I know have reported a loss of (or change in) sense of smell & taste once they’ve had Covid. One coworker says it’s like remembering the smell/taste associated with certain foods but not being able to actually smell or taste that when eating the particular item. So you may find yourself seeking out different flavors/more or less spice/heat, etc., just because of a change in your sensory receptors.
As for salads, I love them. My favorite is caprese salad made with nothing but fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, roma tomatoes, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt. The flavors & textures blend perfectly: so fresh! And no matter what else I have for lunch, every day I always include a big salad with spinach, shredded cabbage (which I prefer to lettuce because it doesn’t wilt so quickly and retains a good crunch), cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes with a low-fat dressing (Skinny Girl brand raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar are very good, but just a plain nonfat Italian dressing is good). I’ll top the salad with a few sun dried tomatoes and/or a few thin slices of red onion. Delicious—and I know I’ve had a full serving of veggies.
Deb, I like Caprese salad as much as you do! Diane is a big fan of spinach so that’s a major ingredient to many of our salads. Yes, several of our friends who came down with Covid-19 this year warned us about possible changes to tastes and smells. I didn’t notice my food tasting differently, but my sense of smell was off a bit. That’s resolved itself finally…
I grew up in a literal meat and potatoes family with very little exposure to fruit and vegetables that didn’t come in a can. The only salad I every saw was iceberg lettuce slathered with 1000 Island dressing. It wasn’t until I was in college that I had access to a broader diet but my palate was so constricted it took me years to expand my diet and it wasn’t until I was in my forties that I did the once unthinkable and gave up meat for humane reasons first and health second. My body had no adjustment problems and in fact my craving for fresh greens only increased so yes I am big on salads.
I did miss a lot of the more savory dinners I used to make and spent a couple of years experimenting with fake meat with variable results although it did make the transition easier. Once I started wrapping my head around the basics of umami and started cooking more mushroom based meals things really improved.
Good luck with the diet change. If you approach it as an adventure and start poking through the cooking magazines and websites you may be pleasantly surprised.
Byron, Diane loves the cooking shows on THE FOOD NETWORK and we subscribe to a handful of food/cooking magazines. Now that I’m on Ozempic, my interest in food has waned.
Good for you George. Salads are full of fiber so they are a big part of our diet. Jeff forgot to mention using only olive oil in our salads. We have plenty of salads with balsamic vinegar, not just Caesar. We use red wine vinegar for Greek and enjoy Papaya salad in the Thai restaurant and ginger dressing in the Japanese. Always include a salad. Our one exception is Indian, so we order Chana Masala (chick peas). Full of fiber. We throw chickpeas into most salads as a matter of fact.
Sorry you are still suffering.
Jackie
Jackie
Jackie, Diane plans to give me a Covid-19 test later today. She’s already tested negative for Covid-19 days ago. While I’m still dealing with Low Energy, Diane is getting back her Energizer Bunny energy. She’s hosting her Book Club meeting on Tuesday at her nephew’s condo in Lewiston. After the meeting, the women will all go to Hibberd’s Custard–we took you and Jeff there–for some scrumptious home-made custard.
Hibberd’s, yum!
Jeff, Diane’s nephew bought the condo in Lewiston so he and his family could relax there. He and his brothers grew up in Lewiston and still consider it “home” despite living in Ohio for decades. Dave offered Diane the opportunity to use the condo for Book Club meetings anytime it was available. Diane loves it because it’s a more central meeting place for the Book Club members than the other usual venues. Plus, everyone loves Hibberd’s which is in walking distance of the condo!
If pie counts as a salad then I’m a big salad fan.
Jerry, I’m sure Cherry Pie counts!
I like salads well enough! The salad bar at Round Table Pizza is surprisingly good and we go there every so often! I used to get taco salads at El Toro, too, but over time the shells got smaller and the prices got bigger, so I switched to fajita dishes!
Bob, with all those casino winnings, you should be able to afford taco salads at El Toro!
I don’t win every time, alas!
I’ve loved salads even before going veg. In the omnivore days, I might have beef chili as a dressing. Lean toward ginger sesame these days. I have also always leaned toward eclectic salads…iceberg only when no alternative.
Todd, I was not a salad guy while growing up. I liked meat and potatoes. But, as I was exposed to a larger and more inclusive menu of foods, I began to eat more salads and less meat.