The plated salad brings me back to my earlier days in restaurant kitchens when the Salad Plate was a popular item on every luncheon menu. The salad plate quite often consisted of tuna salad, egg salad and a scoop of cottage cheese, artfully presented on a bed of iceberg lettuce or maybe stuffed into a scooped out tomato. When I was working in one of the Hotel kitchens our most popular plated salad was the Shrimp and Avocado salad stuffed into 1/2 of an avocado tossed with a very rich dressing and garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.
Fast forward….years when the Plated Salad is still a popular menu item for the professional kitchen and the home chef too. Plated salads are an easy way to artfully combine and present a few well chosen ingredients, (think lots of fresh local, colorful and seasonal ingredients) into a magnificent meal. Pick one focus salad mixture as the star ingredient; curried tofu salad, chicken salad with toasted almonds and cilantro dressing, flaked wild salmon tossed with shaved fennel and dill dressing or whatever you like. Prepare your main salad mixture ahead of time and clean and prepare your accompaniments. When your guests arrive, have fun putting together an artfully designed plate. Chill your salad plates ahead of time . Add a sparkling beverage, perhaps some warmed bread or grain free cracker and you are ready to entertain.
This is the type of meal that brings me back to the Ladies Luncheon Days where women took the time to sit down to a leisurely meal with their friends, talk, laugh and enjoy the afternoon together.
Here is an updated plated salad that I enjoyed with my Mother recently in celebration of her Birthday.
Shrimp & Avocado Salad with mustard vinaigrette and Chives served over local Arugula, roasted Beets and local pea sprouts.
In appreciation of all Mothers, Motherhood, Grandmothers, Stepmothers, Foster mothers and those who loving act as Mother , we Celebrate and Love you. Happy Mothers Day.