The Secret to a Good Green Salad

Salads have many forms.  But one thing I have discovered is that to have a really good green salad you need a really good homemade salad dressing.  So start discovering what your favorite dressings are, my sisters I'm sure can share a few with you.  In the mean time, here is the key to the other ingredients.  A recipe is nice, but most the time I don't have the exact ingredients for a recipe.

First choose a lettuce:  romaine, spinach, field greens, and arugula are among the best options!

Then choose a cheese: parmesan, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, feta, just plain shredded cheddar...

Then choose a fruit: craisins, mandarin oranges, diced apples, pineapple, tomatoes, avocado, (for caesar choose a dressing with fresh lemon juice)...

Then choose a nut and/or meat: pecans, almonds, walnuts, bacon, sardines, navy beans, eggs...

Then...

If you want add another vegetable:  cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, onions

or if you want add an herb: cilantro, parsley, basil

or if you want add a grain: sesame seeds, flax seeds, croutons (preferably homemade), brown rice, sunflower seeds (grain or nut??) 

You get the picture.  My personal opinion... you don't want too many of one item per group in your salad or they diminish the wonderfulness of the individual essence of the particular item.  Almonds and walnuts, NO!  croutons and rice? DON'T do it!  But it is OK to put in multiple vegetables because a salad is a vegetable creation.  My favorite salad currently is the caesar salad, so I will eventually share the best caesar dressing I have ever had.