CHOPPED SALADS
The chopped salad—typically, but not exclusively, a mix of vegetables chopped up into uniform size and mixed together—is close to perfect summer or warm weather fare.
The preparations of few, if any, chopped salads call for the heat of the stove or oven; they’re easily assembled ahead of time, are best at room or “patio” temperature (or even cooler), and allow cooks to select the best and ripest from their summer’s garden.
Even the zucchini.
Chopped salads also let us hone our kitchen knife skills. What makes a chopped salad not only delicious, but also—and perhaps more important—aesthetically attractive is the evenness of the dice or chop of its ingredients.
Variations on a chopped salad are close to infinite. In addition to the recipe here from Gerard Rudofsky, a great Denver “zayde” (“grandfather” in Yiddish), try these chopped salads:
Greek: tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, romaine lettuce, kalamata olive, dressed in olive oil, oregano and lemon juice
Indian: leftover cooked tandoori chicken, tomato, cilantro, romaine lettuce, English cucumber, cooked chickpea, dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar with minced cilantro
French: cooked Yukon Gold potato, well-blanched green bean, romaine lettuce, hard-cooked egg, English cucumber, nicoise olive, radish, tuna canned in olive oil, dressed in French-style vinaigrette
“Chef’s”: iceberg lettuce, hard-cooked egg, cooked turkey breast, cooked chickpea, Swiss cheese, with Thousand Island dressing
“Cobb”: romaine lettuce, cooked bacon, cooked chicken breast, hard-cooked egg, tomato, avocado, blue cheese, with various dressings possible
Chicago-style “garbage”: romaine and iceberg lettuces, cucumber, radish, red bell pepper (fire-roasted or raw), celery, cherry tomato, red onion, provolone cheese, salami, cooked chickpeas, kalamata olive, garlic crouton, grated parmesan cheese, with various dressings possible
jicama, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomato, basil, with various dressings possible
carrot, red cabbage, red apple (all shredded), dressed in light vegetable oil, cider vinegar and sunflower seeds
RECIPE: Zaidy’s Israeli Chopped Salad
From Gerard Rudofsky, Zaidy’s Deli, when in Cherry Creek, Denver; serves 4
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
For the hummus:
16-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
For the salad:
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
4 radishes, diced
1/2 cucumber, peeled but with small amount of peel remaining, diced
1/2 bunch scallions (green onions), diced
Directions
Make the dressing: blend all ingredients; set aside. Make the hummus: in a food processor, grind all ingredients into a stiff paste. Make the salad: Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix the dressing with the salad and serve to plates or large open bowls. Place a dollop or scoop of the hummus to the side of each serving.
Wine Pairings and why: What makes vegetable dishes difficult to pair with wine is exactly what makes them vegetable dishes: no meat protein or animal fat. Those elements are made for most wines, especially bigger reds with their all-present tannins or oaky, fruity whites. If you’re eating vegetable dishes, chances are you’re the conscientious or reflective sort—and good for you. So take the modest way with wine. The very best wines for vegetables are unassuming, laid-back whites and reds with elegance and finesse, such as Austrian Gruner Veltliner and most anybody’s Pinot Noir. They are, in a real way, like the food they match, food that lived a placid, humble life.