The anatomy of the perfect salad for me goes something like this:
happy produce + vivid colors + variety of shapes and textures + big crunch topping + light, tangy dressing
For Scott and the boys, it’s:
cheese + cold, crispy lettuce + cheese + crunchy croutons + cheese + ranch dressing + topping of more cheese
Given that, I’ve been trying to find ways to add a bit more variety (uh, and health) to their salad repertoire and found a blog that has become my go-to for salad inspiration. Salad Pride is written by David Bez, an Italian Art Director living in London. Several times a week, David posts a new salad, listing ingredients in both English and Italian. If the lush salad photography isn’t sexy enough, just try reading a recipe in Italian. He’s got nearly 250 salads on his site, you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for tonight.
The salad he’s sharing on Steamy Kitchen is my top pick – long ribbons of carrot and zucchini are the “linguine” made with a vegetable peeler. Juicy, ripe tomatoes, tickly grassy sprouts, crunchy pumpkin seeds, sharp oniony chives and a light dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and salt/pepper. I love it. I’ve included his recipe as-is in the post and modified it in the printable recipe box to serve 4. ~Jaden
***
Hello, my name is David. I’m not a chef, I’m just a food lover, an Italian food lover.
I started eating salads in the office because I wanted something healthy for my lunch.
And I wanted something easy to prepare, easy enough to prepare at my desk.
So I started having salads every day for lunch in the office.
My colleagues seemed to love my salads and kept wanting to tuck in.
As even the junk food fans and the heavy meat eaters were fascinated by them,
I thought they might interest a wider audience, so I started to take pictures and posting them on a blog.
I’ve been creating a new salad every single day for almost a year now.
It’s quite easy to get bored doing the same thing over and over again, and yet, because I love eating and I’m always curious to try different ingredients and flavours.
I use my imagination to make my lunch break an exciting occasion to explore new possibilities.
That’s why I employ a variety of ingredients and I like to experiment by mixing and matching tastes.
I’m not a proper vegetarian, but I like to eat a lot of fruit and veg. I care both about my health and the health of the planet. That’s why I try to use only organic, fair-trade and sustainable ingredients.
I love salads and it hurts me when they are treated just as a sad and unsexy side dish. Salads can be creative and balanced, healthy and tasty, a fulfilling meal.
They can help you lose weight or just stay in shape. At the same time, they can also help you to maintain a healthy heart and to avoid serious diseases, as recent studies suggest (such as The China Study).
I try to give salads the importance they deserve, as a complete and delicious course, and I hope my salads can inspire others to try them and enjoy a healthy diet, as I do.
Carrots and Courgettes Linguini with Tomatoes
Ingredients for 1:
1 Carrot sliced with a potato peeler
1 Courgette (Zucchini) sliced with a potato peeler
Chives
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Radish Sprouts
Cherry Tomatoes 100 gr
Dressing:
Extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice)
Salt and pepper
————————
Linguine di carote e zucchine con sugo di pomodorini
Ingredienti per 1:
1 carota tagliata con un pelapatate
1 zucchina (Zucchini) a fette con un pelapatate
Erba cipollina
Manciata di semi di zucca
Germogli di Ravanello
Pomodorini 100 gr
Condimento:
Olio extra vergine di oliva
aceto balsamico (o succo di limone)
Sale e pepe
Carrot and Zucchini Linguini Salad
Ingredients
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 4 zucchini
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas
- handful of sprouts
- few sprigs of chives, minced
- 4 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot and the zucchini lengthwise to create long "linguine" ribbons. Place the carrot and zucchini ribbons in a large bowl of ice water while you make the dressing.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste the dressing, it should be bright and tangy. You should also be able to taste the salt.
- Assemble salad by combining the rest of the ingredients and tossing with the dressing.
Notes
Salads for my boys
Several weeks ago, David wanted to create some salads with my boys in mind: crispy, crunchy, no bitter, no tomatoes. David created 5 salads for them and I chose the last salad from his archive.
Pecorino Cheese, Croutons and Blueberries
Red Peppers, Cauliflower and Carrots
Goat Cheese, Scrambled Eggs and Toasted Bread
Mushrooms, Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Peas, Carrots and Pecorino Cheese
