Crispy and refreshing greens

PAM REISS

On a warm summer evening, I'm always happy with a salad for dinner. Something with a refreshing dressing and lots of crunchy vegetables can't be beat.

SUNOMONO SALAD

This Japanese-style salad is often made with the very unkosher shrimp, crab or octopus. My version uses imitation crab meat (made from fish) and is a great appetizer. You can leave the fish out for a completely vegan option. This is a tangy, sweet and refreshing salad.

4 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. tamari soy sauce
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. ginger, finely grated
1 large English cucumber – peeled, cut in half length-wise, seeded and sliced into thin 1/2-inch circles
4 oz. rice noodles – vermicelli
1/2 lb. imitation crab, flaked
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Place the sugar, salt, vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and ginger in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the cucumber, toss with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.

About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat the salad, place the dry rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Bring 1 1/2 litres of water to a boil. I use an electric kettle for this, but a pot works, too. Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles and set aside for four minutes. Test a noodle to make sure they are soft enough (without being mushy) and drain. Rinse with cold water until the noodles are cold and drain again.

Divide the rice noodles into six bowls. Add one-sixth of the cucumbers to each bowl, along with the dressing. Top each salad with a few pieces of the imitation crab meat and garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Serves six.

PANZANELLA SALAD

Use the ripest, best tasting tomatoes you can find – it makes a world of difference.

Croutons
6 cups Italian bread, cubed (approximately 8 oz.)
1 tbsp. olive oil

Salad
5 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup red onion – peeled and finely chopped
3 cups ripe tomatoes – cored and diced small
12 large basil leaves
4 cups mixed greens (baby lettuce, mesclun or spinach)
2 oz. parmesan cheese, shaved

Cut an Italian or rustic loaf of bread into one-inch cubes. Cut enough to equal six cups – I leave the crust on, but you can trim them off if you prefer. Place the cubes of bread in a mixing bowl, drizzle a tablespoon of oil onto the bread and toss together. Pour the bread cubes onto a baking sheet and place into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine and balsamic vinegars, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Set aside.

Place the finely chopped red onion and diced tomatoes into a large mixing bowl. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add to the bowl along with the cooled croutons and pour the dressing over everything. Use a spoon to toss everything together.

Line a large serving dish with the mixed salad greens and then heap the bread and tomato

mixture onto the centre of the platter. Garnish with thinly shaved parmesan and serve immediately. Serves four.

FATOUSH SALAD

Add some grilled chicken to this and it's a perfect summer meal.

3 large pita
1 tsp. olive oil

Dressing
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Salad
2 medium ripe tomatoes – cored and diced
1/2 large bell pepper (yellow or orange) – cored, seeded and diced
1/2 large English cucumber – peeled, seeded and diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Brush both sides of each pita with a little olive oil, then tear them into bite-size pieces. Place the pita in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until the pita has dried and just started to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt, garlic, mint, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Whisk everything together.

Add the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and green onions to the mixing bowl, toss together and then add the pita pieces. Stir everything together, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Because the pita is so dry (which is good) you need to give everything a little time to soften and to allow the flavors to meld together. Serves four.

Pam Reiss is a Winnipeg freelance writer and the author of Soup: A Kosher Collection.

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