“What kind of salad?” I know it won’t be like the ones in the restaurants. I know it will have strange stuff like canned corn and red peppers and apples and walnuts and it won’t have white bottled dressing and big buttery croutons the way I like it.

“Whatever I had on hand.” No! No! No! No!

“Why can’t we have a salad for once, just once, like the way they make it in the restaurants?”

“You have a job now. You’re sixteen and own a car. Take your friends and go to Denny’s for a restaurant salad.”

Door, slammed shut. Teenage angst blended with hunger. Pat Benatar blares from a turntable and hand me down speakers in the room of a sixteen-year-old with low blood sugar.

2007
“Mom, we’ll be over by 6 p.m. What’s for dinner?”

“Chicken, pasta, French bread and salad.”

“What kind of salad?” Please, please let it be a surprise, something I can sink my teeth into that has notes of sweetness and perhaps something with a pleasant crunch, hopefully enough savory miscellany to balance things out, that wouldn’t hurt…and maybe Mom made one of her yummy home-made dressings.

“Oh, whatever I had in the fridge.” Yay!!

“I looked forward to Sunday dinner all week, Mom.”

“Well, you’re a Mom now. You appreciate home cooking.”

Door, opened wide. Thirty-something daughter (me) with kids of her own hungry for home and how it tastes - which is to say whatever the resourceful, smiling Mom (Grandma) had on hand, hereby referred to as “Everything but the kitchen sink salads.” Just like our mothers did before us in the Midwest and the old country.

Sam Cooke sings from the digital radio station on the television of a family blessed enough to watch food bring life full circle.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

By thinking beyond iceberg and bottled dressings, even back then, my Mom knew how to build a better salad.

1 part balsamic vinegar
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of white or brown sugar if you find it too tart (we like tart)
Shallots, minced garlic, green onions, herbs, citrus zest (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together. The more you make, the more Dijon you should add. Don’t worry if the oil and vinegar separate—just whisk again, and don’t add to salad greens until ready to serve.

Kitchen sink items/additions to home style salads:
(In addition to the standard tomatoes, celery, cucumber, and radishes)

Apples
Nuts
Fresh herbs
Roasted or fresh peppers
Pumpkin seeds
Red or green onions
Corn
Artichoke hearts
Green beans
Peas
Jicama
Black, cannellini or kidney beans

Kitchen Sink Casserole