YumSugar

What Type Of Salad Do You Prefer?

partysugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:01:18 -0700

Off To Market Recap: Salad Serving Bowl

partysugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:18:37 -0700

On a recent trip to my vacation house, I realized my favorite red salad serving bowl had 2 gigantic cracks! Shocked, I added it to the trash and turned to the back up bowl only to remember that the matching serving tongs had been broken at my last dinner party. So I asked you to help me find a new salad serving bowl that is chic, stylish, and cool. A salad bowl that will have guests asking me, "PartySugar, what a fabulous salad bowl, where on earth did you find it??"

You scoured the web and saved the salad bowls in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword Salad Serving Bowl. The set that I absolutely loved was found by aliene. It's a trio of beautiful glass bowls printed with either a blue, green, or pink design. I want all three!! A special thanks to everyone who participated! To look at all of the bowls, scroll through below.

For more on how to bookmark, check out geeksugar's guide.

Would You Rather Eat Pasta Or Potato Salad?

partysugar — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:13:31 -0700

Image Source

Salad On The Side: Summer Bread Salad

partysugar — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:01:32 -0700

Croutons are high up on my list of favorite salad toppings. There is something about crunchy bread moistened by a tangy vinaigrette that I'm crazy about. Naturally, I'm a huge fan of bread salads or panzanella as they are known in Italy. A classic summer side, this salad with its fresh tomatoes, herbs, and crisped green beans, pairs nicely with grilled poultry and fish. It would also complement a plate of lemony, seafood pasta or a platter of deli meats and gourmet cheeses. If you don't have champagne vinegar, use white wine vinegar instead. Make this scrumptious salad this weekend, get the recipe, read more

Summer Bread Salad
From Martha Stewart
Image Source

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
Coarse salt
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 pound baby zucchini or regular zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound small ripe tomatoes, such as cocktail or cherry, halved
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces ciabatta (about 1/2 loaf), torn into 1-inch pieces

Combine vinegar and shallot in a bowl; set aside to let shallot soften.
Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and green beans, and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer green beans to ice-water bath.
Add zucchini to boiling water, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer zucchini to ice-water bath. Let cool, then drain.
Toss green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumber in a large bowl.
Add mustards, herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to shallot mixture. Add 1/4 cup oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
Pour vinaigrette over vegetables, and toss. Let stand at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. (Vegetables can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil, and toss. Toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Add croutons to salad, and toss. Let stand 1 hour before serving so that croutons can soften. If you prefer your croutons crisp, add them to the salad just before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Yum Market Finds: Celebrate Salads

partysugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:58:39 -0700

All week Yum & I have been joyously celebrating salads. To fully celebrate salads in all their crisp, leafy glory, one must have the proper tools. Salad spinners, salad serving bowls, salad tongs, etc. As I was browsing the Yum Market on TeamSugar, I noticed that you too love to celebrate salads. From scrumptious recipes to sweet vegetable toys and fabulous oil and vinegar containers, you can find all the necessary accessories to create delicious and healthy salads in the comfort of your own kitchen. tdamji bookmarked this earthy set of salad bowls and I love how the different colors and sizes allow you to toss the greens in a larger bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette in a smaller bowl, and serve the finished salad in a medium sized bowl! Check out the rest of the salad finds below.

Happy Hour: Homemade V8

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:29:31 -0700

I remember unpacking my lunch in elementary school and being somewhat embarrassed by the V8 juice my mom would lovingly pack. She wasn't too keen on soda, so this was a nice option. However all of my fellow students thought it was weird, disgusting and downright scary. I recall pretending I didn't like it as much as I really did - making it seem like I was forced to drink it. Now, many years later, I realize it wasn't me or my beverage choice, but it was those kids who were weird, disgusting and downright scary. I have no problems with letting everyone know I love the salty, vegetable goodness. However, now that I'm all grown-up I like to purchase fewer processed foods, so instead of drinking V8 as often, I try to whip up my own batch when possible. For a homemade "V8" recipe, read more

I like mine spicy, but you can omit the jalapenos if you'd prefer.

Tom Solomon's Spicy Hot V8
From Chet Day's Natural Health

8 quarts water
4 pounds homegrown tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
8 green jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 cup vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 Tbs oregano
1 large onion, chopped
1 head garlic, pressed
4 Tbs salt
4 Tbs sugar

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the sugar, bring to a boil, and cook at a steady boil for 2 hours.
Remove from heat and strain through a relatively fine mesh, making sure to express all the liquid you can.
Discard the pulp, return the liquid to the pot, and boil for another couple of hours, or until the liquid is reduced to roughly three quarts. Add four tablespoons of sugar, remove from heat, stir, and let cool.

Print recipe with images | without images

Know Your Greens

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:28:39 -0700

No salad week would be complete without a glossary of greens. The base and heart of any salad, greens are crisp, healthy, and when properly paired and dressed, absolutely delicious. Never store leafy vegetables in a wet plastic bag because they will rot quickly. Vegetables need moisture and air to survive, so store in the fridge in a loosely wrapped paper towel in an open plastic bag. When kept properly, greens should store for about 3-5 days in the fridge. When purchasing greens look for brightly colored, perky looking leaves and steer clear of any with brown spots, yellowed edges, or limpness. If you are unsure of the difference between radicchio and red leaf lettuce, refer to my greens glossary which you will find when you read more

Mesclun: A salad mixture of small, young salad greens. It can include lettuce, spinach, arugula, frisée, Swiss chard, mustard greens, endive, dandelion, sorrel. The name mesclun comes from Southern French mescla "to mix." It is also commonly known as mixed salad.

Spinach: With deep, dark green leaves, this vegetable is great mixed with other greens, as a salad, or cooked. It has a slightly bitter taste and wilts down to a much smaller quantity when cooked.

Romaine: A type of lettuce that grows in a long narrow head of leaves. Excellent for salads and sandwiches. Caesar salads made this green tremendously popular.

Red Leaf: A leafy green that grows from a stalk with a decorative frilled red edge. Great on sandwiches or in salads, this lettuce also works well as a decorative garnish to plates of cheese, salumi, and vegetables.

Green Leaf: Another leafy green that is used for salads and in sandwiches. These greens provide a crispy texture and mellow taste.

Iceberg: The least favored salad lettuce is a crisp headed green with light colored leaves that are densely packed. Best served as a wedge with bacon bits and a decadent drizzle of blue cheese dressing.

Arugula: Dark green leaves with a tangy, peppery flavor. Also called rocket, this green belongs to the mustard family, can be used in salads, rice and pasta dishes, and as a topping on pizza.

Bibb: A buttery lettuce with a tapered head and light green leaves. Makes a scrumptious salad.

Radicchio: A bitter green from the chicory family. The leaves have a vibrant burgundy-red color with white ribs. Used in salads and tastes great grilled or roasted.

Image Source

Do You Like Bitter Greens (Frisee, Baby Arugula, Etc)?

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:11:39 -0700

Image Source

Yellow Fruit Salad = Lovely After Dinner Treat

partysugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:59:31 -0700

Now is the time to enjoy peaches, plums, and mangoes in all their delicious glory. Luscious, juicy, and ripe, stone fruit can become - with a little help from a few extra flavorings - a divine yet easy dessert. A fruit salad coated in a delicate ginger thyme syrup is light and surprisingly earthy. A meringue garnish brings this salad to the next level, making it an elegant finish to a late summer supper. Tantalize your guests with this tempting recipe, just read more

Yellow Fruit Salad With Ginger Thyme Syrup
From Food & Wine magazine
Image Source

1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
Three 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh ginger
1 large thyme sprig
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
2 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
1 golden plum, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 225°.
In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, water, ginger and thyme to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain 1/2 cup of the syrup into a bowl and let cool.
Boil the remaining syrup over high heat until it reaches 230° on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Discard the ginger and thyme.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. At high speed, slowly beat in the hot syrup. Add the vanilla and beat until the meringue is stiff, glossy and at room temperature.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 5/16-inch round tip (#3).
Add one-third of the meringue at a time and pipe it out onto the prepared baking sheets in 5-inch-long straight or slightly squiggly lines about 1/2 inch apart.
Bake the meringues for about 1 1/2 hours, or until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in for 1 hour; they should be completely crisp and dry. Let cool on the baking sheets.
Fold the fruit into the reserved syrup. Let stand for 20 minutes. Spoon into bowls and serve with the meringues.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Do You Order Your Dressing Tossed or On The Side?

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:01:46 -0700

Image Source