Salad

The greens for the following salad may be washed and spun dry a day in advance and kept wrapped in paper towels in a plastic bag and chilled. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min

This salad was inspired by a classic Salade Niçoise with its fresh anchovies, potatoes and green beans, and one offered to me by Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, who comes to France every year to avail herself of, among other things, the fine green beans of summer.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pour a chilled dry Gewürztraminer to accompany the salad and offer crusty bread throughout dinner.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. If fingerling potatoes are not available, small red potatoes, halved, may be substituted.

Phyllo-wrapped goat cheese gives this salad served at Un Grand Café in Chicago, Illinois, an elegant touch.

Vinegar and mustard give the dressing in this salad an assertive flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the beets.

The colorful salad makes a delightful first course, or it can be enjoyed as a side dish with grilled London broil.

The traditional apple, walnut and chopped celery salad is updated with a yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise citrus dressing, pine nuts and Cajun seasoning.

Ribbons of soft coconut stand in for noodles in this version of the popular Thai dish.