Warning! And Salad!

  May I just say: Spring is coming to the Raggedy Garden! Outdoor living is just around the corner. Cast iron pans can be used on the grill. With excellent results. Like if you want to make breakfast outside on warm, sweet mornings. Yup.

               Now, about warnings, and Salads......



           Just a warning. You never grab the handle of a cast iron pan when it is hot. Never. Never. Grab a hot pad, oven mitt, thick towel, anything that will protect your hand from HOT iron. This is even more important than never, never wash cast iron with soap.  (my apologies to the Kullaklan)
           Salad has nothing to do with cast iron what so ever. And, who doesn't know how to make a salad? I didn't. I came from Minnesota. Did you know that they call a bowl of chopped up lettuce a Minneasota Salad? I'm thinking that Minnesotans have gotten more savvy since those days. No offense meant. But I have picked up alot of great salad hints over the years, and the different places I have been. Of course, you could go on for many sentences about all the different kinds of salads. This story is about Chef Salads.
            So far this year I have been the giver, and receiver of many, many meals. Make A Meal is a super deal! When you are sick, sad, ultra busy, grieving or joyful, it's the nicest sight in the world when someone comes through the door with a nice meal. It slides a big load off your shoulders. If you are making a meal for someone, you try to think of something easy to carry around, something that will stay nice and fresh for the car ride, and you hope it won't be what the other five people brought that week already.
             So one day, I was wracking my brains over what to make. There would probably be alot of people, as there was family from all over at the house. Visions of a nice crunchy Chef Salad came dancing through my head, and the more I thought, the better it seemed. Easy to make up, easy to transport, good to eat, and easy clean up. How can you beat that!
             When you bring a meal, of course, you use tossable foil containers, so no one has to try to get all kinds of containers back  and remember what belongs to who. So I used a big roasting pan for the greens. Thats easy, just get some nice dark green Romaine, cuz' thats the letuce thats good for you. I like to add some fancy greens, just for color and form and fun and flavour. Garden lettuce comes in wonderfully here, if its that time of year. If not, then just use a bag mix or search through the produce section for frisee, radicchio, leafy greens, spinach, what ever looks good. Then I just slice up your other veggies, carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers (use different colors), radishes, sugar peas, tomatoes (little ones are nice), what ever strikes your fancy, and place them along the edges, so folks can take what they like.
              Then use a 9x13 and fill it up with meats and cheeses, sliced hard boiled eggs. Send along a package of dried fruit and some bacon bits. You can bring salad dressing if you want, but people usually have what they like in their Fridge.  Then just add some fresh homemade bread, rolls or muffins, and you're set!

      Its easy to make it look special, too, by using a little imagination.
             Chef Salads are nice to do for a smaller bunch, in individual bowls, too. If they are going to be eaten fairly soon, they are much enhanced by adding chopped apples, pears, or citrus and nuts. Chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, cashews, or the candied nuts are good, too. Also, I like to cut the lettuce in small pieces. It's not so messy. At least I always dislike trying to eat a salad with such big chunks of lettuce that you have to try to get it all in your mouth, or a piece of lettuce will fall on me or the table (awkward), or you try to cut it in your bowl, and stuff flies around (embarrassing).

              I like using a soup bowl for these.It seems to make a perfect portion. With summer coming on, this is always good hot weather food. If I'm doing a big one, for a crowd, I will get a spiral sliced ham (usually the cheapest meat you can find at the grocery), and either cook up some reasonably priced chicken you have in the freezer or a turkey, the day before you make the salad. It always tastes better than deli meats. You can do all the work enough ahead of time so you can sit around and enjoy your company rather than being stuck in the kitchen by your lonesome while others are laughing and talking and having a good time.
              Chef Salads are nice, because you can basically just use what ever you happen to have around. You can use your imagination and pick up some fancy additions if you want to go that direction. Your guests are always impressed. It tastes so good. It's good for you. Even the iron horse cowboy ( who thinks vegetables are what meat eats ) is impressed and praises the meal when he has his stack of meat covering up the greens.
             Don't burn your hand! Eat salad. Have a good day!