In Praise of Salad

I like to make huge tossed salads as an accompaniment to almost any meal. And I prefer homemade salad dressing. Salads are easy and add freshness to any entree, from soup and sandwiches to hearty roast beef to grilled salmon. I prefer to use romaine or a mix of baby greens. And because I prefer easy, I usually use the convenient bagged greens.

You can jazz up your salad with all kinds of goodies. Some of my favorite toppings:
nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds
sliced or diced cucumbers
green peppers
tomatoes
sugar snap peas
pitted olives (black, green, kalamata)
feta or bleu cheese crumbles
croutons

MY FAVORITE BASIC OLIVE OIL & VINEGAR DRESSING
3 Tbsp. favorite extra light olive oil (I use Carapelli)
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I use Alessi)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
Squirt of lime juice (optional)
Shake well and pour over 1 bag mixed baby greens. Add chopped walnuts, thinly sliced red onion, sliced cucumbers, crumbled bleu or feta cheese and toss well.