Salad Dressing

A quick-to-make vinaigrette that's great tossed with greens and poured over steamed vegetables or orange slices. Present it in an antique glass cruet.

For crunchy greens (escarole and romaine), try this all-purpose dressing.

Rather than making herbs part of a green salad, why not make these fresh, flavorful greens the salad. The idea comes from Paris chef Alain Passard, who years ago served me an all-tarragon salad at his Left Bank restaurant, Arpège. When tarragon is fresh in the market or your garden overflows with this extraordinarily powerful herb, why not serve it with honor as a salad on its own? Years later Passard expanded what I call "the tarragon tangle" to a full-scale mixed herb salad—just a few well-dressed bites on a small salad plate—as an accompaniment. The idea really is to mix and match judiciously. Just don't use so many herbs that they lose their personality. Good combinations include parsley, mint, and tarragon. Or consider an all-mint salad to accompany grilled lamb, an all-tarragon salad to accompany grilled chicken, a sage-heavy salad to accompany roast pork. Other herbs that can be added to the following salad mix include a very judicious addition of hyssop, sage, chervil, and marjoram. Just be sure to include leaves only—no cheating—leaving all stems behind!

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Light, refreshing and beautiful.

Leftover roasted chicken or turkey makes this rendition of a popular salad a snap to prepare. It's made spicy by combining chilies with linguine, green onions, snow peas, cilantro and a peanut dressing.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Cheese with Smoked Turkey and Avocado. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Subscribing to the theory that epicurean cooking should, ideally, be easy and inexpensive, I submit this recipe, which I obtained during the summer I taught school on Guam. It's for a dressing of mine that is excellent on fruit salads and even makes an outstanding dressing for coleslaw as part of a summer picnic. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to prepare Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad with Caesar Dressing . This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.