Kitchen Sink Salad

[Guest guest]

This came to me on another list. I have tried this, but it sounds pretty sensible. At first I thought "keeping a salad for a week?!" but read through to the end and see what you think.....................Shari..............

Just made a salad on Saturday, and it's awesome. It took me almost 4 hoursto complete but well worth every second of it. I use 2 package of TraderJoe's Organic Spring Salad mix and 1 package of the Organic Herb salad mix. I add a package of Trader Joe's Red Bell peppers (usually 2-3 in a package). 1 package of 4 Avocados. 1 package of sliced White mushrooms. 1 packageof Green Unions. 1/2 package of Celery Hearts (saving 1/2 for next salad). 1 English Cucumber. 2 packages of Mixed Medley Organic Tomatoes (multicolored cherry type tomatoes) 1 bunch of radishes cut into pieces. ( Theonly ingredient Trader Joe's doesn't carry) The secret to it's longevity is to get it as dry as possible after rinsingand cutting up. I leave tiny tomatoes whole after washing, stemming andthen towel drying. I put them all in a large clean towel and close the endsand shack or roll them around, to remove all water. Only use the English Cucumber because it contain less water. I use papertowels to soak up the water from the cut up cucumber. It will take severaltowels but you can mop up most of the water that way. I do the same withthe radishes once they are cut up also by wrapping with paper towel orpressing. I up a hand towel to soak the water from the Green Unions beforeI cut them up. Also the same for each Celery stalk before cutting. Ialways string my Celery before cutting them up, so do the towel mop afterstringing and before cutting. Bell pepper are paper towel dried after theya washed and cut up. Be sure to squeeze them in the paper towel to removemoisture. Avocados are ready to go after cutting into pieces. Mushroom areready to go out of the package (don't rinse) the salad green are rinsed inthe spinner, removing as much water a possible before using the big cleanbath towel to wrap and tumble dry. If you do each step this salad can stayfresh for nearly 2 weeks and is good to the very last bit.Now for the container and refrigeration. I use a huge ceramic bowl. I put2 folded paper towel in the bottom and start layering ingredients. Firstlayer is all the greens then the cut up stuff and finally a few of thetomatoes. Repeat until the bowl is full of you run out of vegetables. Thequantity of ingredients list above fills my bowl to the brim. Last I use aSaran wrap elastic cover (grocery store) that I line with paper towel (2towel thick). This will absorb any condensation from refrigeration. Aftera couple of day the top towels will be moist meaning it's time to remove andadd fresh one's. You will learn how to tweak my system to better suit yours

[Guest guest]

I’ve got a very large Tupperware

bowl that will keep salad fresh for up to two weeks. I try to get as much moisture as

possible off of the salad vegetables as that does make a difference in the length

of time salad will “keep”.

A tight fitting lid that will keep the air out is a must.

I usually use a salad spinner for greens,

but if I’m cleaning and chopping multiple heads of lettuce I clean the

lettuce, put it in a freshly laundered pillow case and throw it in the washing

machine on spin cycle – this will dry the lettuce amazingly well.

-----Original Message-----

From:

health

[mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Shari Viger

Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 12:43

PM

Undisclosed-Recipient:;

Subject:

Kitchen Sink Salad

This came to me on another

list. I have tried this, but it sounds pretty sensible. At first I

thought " keeping a salad for a week?! " but read through to the

end and see what you think.....................Shari..............

Just made a salad on Saturday, and it's awesome. It

took me almost 4 hours

to complete but well worth every second of it. I use 2 package of Trader

Joe's Organic Spring Salad mix and 1 package of the Organic Herb salad mix.

I add a package of Trader Joe's Red Bell peppers (usually 2-3 in a package).

1 package of 4 Avocados. 1 package of sliced White mushrooms.

1 package

of Green Unions. 1/2 package of Celery Hearts (saving 1/2 for next

salad).

1 English Cucumber. 2 packages of Mixed Medley Organic Tomatoes (multi

colored cherry type tomatoes) 1 bunch of radishes cut into pieces.

( The

only ingredient Trader Joe's doesn't carry)

The secret to it's longevity is to get it as dry as possible after rinsing

and cutting up. I leave tiny tomatoes whole after washing, stemming and

then towel drying. I put them all in a large clean towel and close the

ends

and shack or roll them around, to remove all water.

Only use the English Cucumber because it contain less water. I use paper

towels to soak up the water from the cut up cucumber. It will take

several

towels but you can mop up most of the water that way. I do the same with

the radishes once they are cut up also by wrapping with paper towel or

pressing. I up a hand towel to soak the water from the Green Unions

before

I cut them up. Also the same for each Celery stalk before cutting.

I

always string my Celery before cutting them up, so do the towel mop after

stringing and before cutting. Bell pepper are paper towel dried after

they

a washed and cut up. Be sure to squeeze them in the paper towel to remove

moisture. Avocados are ready to go after cutting into pieces.

Mushroom are

ready to go out of the package (don't rinse) the salad green are rinsed in

the spinner, removing as much water a possible before using the big clean

bath towel to wrap and tumble dry. If you do each step this salad can

stay

fresh for nearly 2 weeks and is good to the very last bit.

Now for the container and refrigeration. I use a huge ceramic bowl.

I put

2 folded paper towel in the bottom and start layering ingredients. First

layer is all the greens then the cut up stuff and finally a few of the

tomatoes. Repeat until the bowl is full of you run out of

vegetables. The

quantity of ingredients list above fills my bowl to the brim. Last I use

a

Saran wrap elastic cover (grocery store) that I line with paper towel (2

towel thick). This will absorb any condensation from refrigeration.

After

a couple of day the top towels will be moist meaning it's time to remove and

add fresh one's. You will learn how to tweak my system to better suit

yours

[Guest guest]

I always wash my lettuce when I get it home...and then put it layered with

paper towels into gallon sized zip loc bags. I find this keeps my lettuce

fresh and crisp longer than leaving it in the bag they come in...and they

ends don't rot...I also do this with carrots and celery but probably would

just cut up the rest as I make my salad...especially tomatoes since they

can really ruin a salad if left in there for too long.

I am officially planting my lettuce barrel this weekend and will be working

on getting my other parts of my garden going. I am very excited!!

Caroline

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