Dressed to thrill taste buds (+recipes)

When I was young, my mother's lettuce salads were jokingly referred to as "rabbit food". But gone are the days when sliced or torn lettuce salads were enjoyed by one and all, "cos" outside my kitchen window two resident baby rabbits have been avoiding my garden of salad greens - mustard, red sails, iceberg, wild rocket and - cos. Instead, they prefer daisies, marigolds, olive leaves and good old clover.

Salads are only as good as the quality and variety of ingredients - and their dressings. Green salads should always be served chilled and crisp. Wash the leaves and gently pat them dry - or twirl in a salad spinner - before crisping in a large plastic bag in the refrigerator. Pile in a chilled bowl just before serving so they are perky and bright. Dress them at the table or at least the second before serving. I've been so disappointed with cafe side salads of late - often tired, limp, badly dressed or naked.

It's so simple to make good dressing: lemon juice mixed with a little Dijon-style mustard and a pinch each of sugar and salt. Whisk in twice as much extra-virgin olive oil (Kiwi oil preferably) as lemon juice, until the ingredients emulsify.

Other oils that add interest to dressings include grapeseed, walnut, avocado or chilli oil. Make your own chilli oil by immersing dried chillies in canola oil for several days or weeks, then strain.

If an Asian-flavoured salad is required to complement your stir-fry or grill then this soy and ginger dressing is a treat. Whisk 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and canola oil with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon of grated root ginger and a pinch of diced chilli. It's an excellent complement for crisp greens, avocados or chunky mixed vegetable salads.

Recipes

ROASTED KUMARA & BACON & SALAD

1 large kumara

3  tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 rashers streaky bacon

1 orange, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 cup pineapple pieces

1/2 roasted red pepper, diced

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Dressing

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1  tsp curry powder

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Peel the kumara and cut into 2cm cubes. Place in a roasting pan with the oil and black pepper. Mix well. Roast about 15 minutes or until browned, turning once.

Grill or microwave the bacon, until crisp. Cut into pieces.

Place the orange, pineapple, roasted red pepper, shallot, parsley, kumara and bacon into a large bowl. Combine the mayo, curry powder and lemon juice. Drizzle over the salad. Toss carefully. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

MEDITERRANEAN POTATO SALAD

Wild rocket gives the salad a refreshing piquancy. It's so easy to grow and if you're not careful, takes over the garden.

Dressing: 1/2 cup orange or mandarin juice

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp capers, rinsed and dried

Salad: 500g baby potatoes

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 heaped cups each: wild rocket leaves, small cos lettuce leaves, torn

1/2 cup mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fennel fronds

To make the dressing, whisk the citrus juice and vinegar. Then whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Stir in the capers.

To make the salad, first scrub the potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender, ensuring they keep their shape.

Meanwhile, combine the fennel, rocket, cos and mint leaves in a large salad bowl. Add the drained and warm potatoes and toss with the dressing and plenty of salt and pepper. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serves 4.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH MINTED CUCUMBER DRESSING

This no-fat dressing is great over cooked chicken or vegetables.

Minted Cucumber Dressing:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

1 each: medium cucumber, green and red peppers (capsicums)

Salad: 1 small iceberg lettuce

3 cups shredded smoked chicken

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and mint and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool, strain and chill.

Peel the cucumber, half lengthwise, remove the seeds  and discard.

Dice the flesh. Seed and dice the peppers. Add the vegetables to the cooled syrup.

Wash the lettuce and refresh in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Place on a serving platter and top with the chicken. Spoon the dressing over the chicken. Serves 6.

STIR-FRIED SALAD WITH HOISIN DRESSING

2-3 tbsp peanut oil

250g brown mushrooms, sliced

2 small red peppers, seeded and sliced

225g snow peas, trimmed

1 tsp thyme leaves

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dressing: 1  tbsp each: sesame oil, rice wine vinegar

1 tsp grated root ginger

2  tbsp each: hoisin sauce, water

Heat half the peanut oil in a wok. Stir-fry the mushrooms, until browned. Place to one side. Heat the remaining oil.

Add  peppers, snow peas and thyme and stir-fry until crisp-tender. Combine with  mushrooms in a  salad bowl. Season.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over the salad. Toss before serving. Serves 4-6.