Chef's salad: a classic
Years ago, in Frederick & Nelson's elegantly appointed Tea Room, women dressed in white gloves and veiled hats lunched on the classic chef's salad. Rows of tomatoes, Swiss cheese, chicken and ham lay on crisp beds of iceberg lettuce. Wedges of hard-cooked eggs and California black olives dotted this carefully arranged landscape. A tiny silver bowl of dressing, perhaps Blue Cheese or Thousand Island, was set to the side, ready for a drizzle or a drenching.
A more contemporary vision of the chef's salad can be described in this way: Everything but the kitchen sink, tossed, layered, rolled or arranged in every way imaginable. Whatever the form, it's become the main event on the summer table.
Farmers markets, home gardens and supermarkets are prime hunting grounds for a heady mix of greens. They are the nuts-and-bolts of the salad and should be treated with care.
A few pointers are in order:
Don't wash greens before storing them in the refrigerator; water will make them deteriorate much more quickly.
Clean the greens the day they'll be served. Separate the leaves and put into a large bowl of cold water. Swish them around, then lift out. Repeat with cold, fresh water. Sandy leaves such as spinach and beet greens may need up to three changes of water. Drain and dry in a salad spinner, then wrap in paper towels.
Up to an hour before serving, tear the greens for the salad and put into a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate for a crisp, fresh texture.
A good dressing enhances all of the ingredients. For our chef's salads today, we've tossed a base of 6 to 8 cups of greens with 3 to 4 tablespoons of dressing. Keep in mind that the ingredients to be layered or tossed into the salad will lend their own moisture, and there will be a final splash of dressing on top.
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