I’m no fan of vegetable salads — especially the kind with nothing but raw leaves — but this salad, I can eat. With gusto.
Why? Well, we have to start with the adage that we eat with our eyes first. The quote is believed to have been first uttered by Apicius, the 1st Century Roman gourmand.
Yes, that long ago. But its wisdom has reverberated through the centuries, and science now appears to support this claim. Colors, shapes and even glossiness can alter a diner’s perception of taste, smell and flavor. That’s the reason chefs and all kinds purveyor of cooked food take extra care in plating and garnishing a dish.
Ironically, this salad requires neither careful plating nor scrupulous garnish. You literally just toss everything together and the salad immediately looks appetizing. It’s a combination of green leaves (which the mind associates with freshness), red grapes and yellow apple (that the brain interprets as luscious because they are fruits), bits of toasted nuts and the oily slickness of smoked salmon.
And then, as you inspect the salad closer, the visual delight gives way to the smell. And resistance is futile at that point. You take a forkful of vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish and you savor the interplay of flavors and textures in your mouth.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup calamansi juice (lemon or lime juice may be substituted)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon herb salt (plain salt is okay too)
Salad mix
- 1 small handful pecans
- 1 small handful sliced almonds
- lettuce enough for 4; any variety
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 to 2 apples (we used Fuji)
- 1 teaspoon calamansi juice or lime or lemon juice
- 1 large bunch seedless grapes
- 12 to 16 pickled onions (store bought), well drained
- smoked salmon as much as you like, torn into small pieces
Instructions
- Make dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Set aside to infuse.
- Roughly chop the pecans. Toast in an oil-free pan for half a minute. Add the sliced almonds and continue toasting for another one to two minutes. Cool.
- Tear the lettuce into manageable pieces. Rinse well. Dry in a salad spinner.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- Cut the cucumber into half-inch cubes.
- Core the apples and cut into half-inch cubes. Toss with the teaspoonful of calamansi juice to prevent discoloration.
- Rinse the grapes and pluck off the stems.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of salad dressing in a large mixing bowl. Throw in all the salad ingredients. Toss.
- Divide the salad among individual bowls and serve with more dressing on the side.
