Salad

Salads are a combination of raw, cold ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers and usually topped with salad dressing. Chicken, turkey and other meats can be added to salads, especially if they are eaten in place of the mid-day or evening meal.http://www.google.com/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en%7Cen&hl=en&q=salad The ingredients added to salads are fueled by the imagination and the available food items.

Salad dressing is almost always used a topping for salads. Oil and vinegar, or lemon juice were the first choices available for the dressing on salads. Over the years, there have been hundreds of different salad dressing created. A variety of flavors, that range from sweet to bitter and every taste in between, can be found in stores or it can be created in the kitchen of the salad maker. People of all ages eat salads of some type and the sales at Dole, the salad maker, has the evidence. According to the Dole website, in 2009, more than 2,100,000 bags of salads were purchased by Americans, all over the United States everyday. http://www.dole.com/servedocument.aspx?fp=documents/dole/Dole_Salad_Safety.pdf

Salads have been eaten for centuries, the Egyptian tombs show evidence of lettuce being grown in gardens, in 4500 B.C., by the Babylonians.http://www.dole.com/servedocument.aspx?fp=documents/dole/Dole_Salad_Safety.pdf8

Acetaria, a word used in London, in the early 1700s, was a term meant salad greens. A book published during that timed, amply titled: Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets, described the proper way to make a fresh, garden salad. The ingredients were always picked fresh from the garden and sprinkled with fresh, cold water. Acetaria described in detail the steps that called for olive oil, of the finest quality and vinegar that had a hint of flavor from the fresh picked flowers and herbs, that were immersed in the freshly squeezed olive oil. Sea Salt was added as the last ingredient. This 300 year old book also include instruction for growing 35 different varieties of salad greens, that included: Romaine lettuce, cresses, spinach, endive, celery, radish, fennel and arugula.http://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_articles/Food_History/78-The_History_Of_Salad.htmlhttp://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_articles/Food_History/78-The_History_Of_Salad.html

At that time, salads were mainly eaten by the peasants, meat and grains were enjoyed by the upper-class citizens, who felt that the raw green leaves were for the animals and the homeless vagrants. Salads were thought to be of no nutritional value and they were accused of causing stomach aches, by the civilized people, who sometimes gave them a try. After years of being neglected by the high-class members of society, salads has become a favorite creation, for people of all walks of life.http://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_articles/Food_History/78-The_History_Of_Salad.html/REF

Salads are served during lunch or dinner, as the main dish or as a side dish. There are dozens of ingredients that can be added to change the taste and style of the salad:

Caesar salad - A Caesar salad is a simple salad. It consist of Romaine lettuce, croutons, garlic vinaigrette dressing and shaved Parmesan cheese. According to George Leonard Herter, in his book, Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices, the first Caesar salad was eaten in 1903, by Giacomo Junia, in Chicago, Illinois.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Cobb salad - When you make a Cobb salad, you are making a full meal. There is meat, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, celery, bacon, crumbled blue cheese and salad dressing. Some people add more ingredients to this fat-laden salad, according to their preferences. Officially, the Cobb salad was the invention hotel manager Bob Cobb and it was served at the Brown Derby restaurant, in 1937.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Crab Louie - This is a salad that is spelled more that one way. Referred to as the Crab Louis or Crab Louie, this salad, also known as The King of Salads, originated on the West Coast. There are several version of this salad and the ingredients are determined by the cook.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Coleslaw - Made with shredded cabbage, carrots, mayonnaise and crushed pickles, there are many other ingredients that can be added to coleslaw. Originally from the United States, the name come from the Dutch word meaning kool sla, that translates to mean cabbage salad.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Panzanella - Bread, tomatoes, lettuce and vegetables make up this Italian salad. It was created by chefs who did not want to waste the leftovers in the kitchen. A poem, dating back to the 1500s had a description of the salad in the verses.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Salad Nicoise - Nice, France can claim the creation of the Salad Nicoise. Potatoes, green beans, olives, garlic, tomatoes, anchovies, capers and lemon juice are some of the ingredients the chefs in Italy added to their own personal creations.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Salad Oliver - Russian by origin, this salad has chicken, potatoes, green peas, pickles and carrots, that are mixed with mayonnaise. This is a dish that is served at the holiday meals and at parties.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Waldorf Salad - An American creation, the Waldorf is a sweet salad that has apples, walnuts, celery, with lemon juice and mayonnaise. Records show the first Waldorf salad was created in 1893, by Oscar, who worked at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm

Romaine lettuce - Dark green leaves help to identify Romaine lettuce. It contains much more beta carotene than the light green lettuce.

Chicory - Pale with long leaves, it is rich in vitamin B. Chicory has a slightly bitter taste but the leaves are crisp. The addition of this type of lettuce will add a naturally crunchy texture to the salad.

Curly endive - Green leaves that have a distinctly a bitter taste, the newer leaves are milder in flavour.

Iceberg lettuce - Always round, with a compact, light green, pale green leaves that are almost tasteless. Pregnant women can benefit from the folate in Iceberg lettuce.

Lamb's lettuce - Similar to watercress in appearance the small, compact leaves are sweet in taste, if they are freshly sprouted.

Lollo rosso - Look for green leaves with a red color at the tip. This is one of the healthiest salad leaves you can eat. The red leaves contain a high amount of flavonoids, when compared to the other types of lettuce used in salads.

Radicchio - Red in color, this is a type of chicory that is similar to a young cabbage. With bitter in flavored leaves, it should be mixed with other types of lettuce to keep from over-powering the salad, with the bitter taste.

Rocket - With feathery leaves that are small and long, you get a peppery taste that taste best with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on. This lettuce is a close relative to cress, watercress and cabbage.

Spinach - Eaten raw for the health benefits, spinach is delicious when it is added to salads. With a slightly bitter taste, the leaves are packed with iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and K.

Watercress - Watercress leaves are leaves are dark, full of iron and calcium, they have a strong taste that is rich in vitamins and minerals.http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/handling-meat/types-of-lettuce/