Salad

Kale is about as unlikely a food star as you can imagine. It's tough and fibrous. Bite a piece of raw kale and you'll practically end up with splinters between your teeth. Nevertheless, kale has become a green of the moment because, given a little special care, it actually can be made not only edible but delicious. You can cook it, of course, the lower and slower the better. But surprisingly, one of the most popular ways to use kale these days is in salads. Though kale leaves have always been found on almost every salad bar, it wasn't for reasons of edibility - it was for decoration, because this was one green so tough it would last forever without wilting.

Dear SOS: I am eagerly and desperately looking to replicate the most delicious, amazing salad I have ever had. My fiancé and I are regulars at the Tender Greens in Culver City, and we finally tried its best dish on meatless Monday: the happy vegan. It successfully combines the tastiest health foods such as red quinoa salad, green hummus and farro, with toasted hazelnuts, all on one plate. Please help me with the recipe! Jessica Zi Los Angeles Dear Jessica: The happy vegan is a combination of several smaller salads, and Tender Greens was happy to share its recipes, which we've adapted below.

Quinoa lentil salad with tomatoes Total time: 50 minutes, plus cooling and chilling times Servings: 6 1 cup French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed Salt and pepper 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, plus more for drizzling 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and strained 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 large garlic clove, minced 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup fresh parsley ...

Sea bean salad Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Note: Adapted from Joan's on Third. Sea beans may be available at select Asian markets as well as online at earthy.com and marxfoods.com ; you can also contact your local produce manager to see if the market might order them for you. If you cannot locate sea beans, an equal amount of snow peas or pea shoots can be substituted. 1/2 pound sea beans 3/4 pound yellow wax beans 1/2 pound shelled edamame beans (about 2 cups)

Dear SOS: I am utterly obsessed with the curried chickpeas at Joan's on Third. They are the best curried chickpeas I've ever had. Every time I go there I order them as part of the salad trio (a selection of three salads from their daily specials on the marketplace menu). I should know by now that I should order just the chickpeas because they're all I ever want to eat (well, that and a number of things from the bakery). Lauren Burchett Los Angeles Dear Lauren: The curry blend in this recipe gives an otherwise simple salad wonderful depth and robust flavor.

  Potato salad with celery and red onion Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time Servings: 6 2 pounds waxy potatoes, unpeeled Salt 2 1/2 teaspoons shallots 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/3 cup oil 1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks) 1/3 cup diced red onion 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley 1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, barely cover with water, add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer.

  Fresh herb salad with seeds Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 4 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves 1 cup cilantro leaves 3/4 cup basil leaves, preferably purple basil, torn into pieces 4 cups chilled baby salad leaves 2-3 radishes, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ...

  Grilled fig salad Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 Note: From test kitchen manager Noelle Carter 1/3 cup walnut halves Salt Best-quality olive oil 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme 1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 6 tablespoons best-quality olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 8 ripe...

  Total time: 15 minutes plus wilting time for the vegetables and chilling time for the salad Servings: 8 Note: Adapted from Got Kosher? Provisions. 2 turnips 1 small red bell pepper 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided, more to taste Juice of 1 lemon 1. Stem the turnips, then peel their white outer skin, leaving as much of the purple skin attached as possible. Quarter the turnips lengthwise, then slice them lengthwise as thinly as possible, no thicker than one-eighth inch, preferably on a mandoline.

There's only a one-letter difference between "Vegas" and "vegan," but until recently the two could not have been further apart. For years, the best herbivore option in Sin City has been a nondescript shop on Spring Mountain Road called Ronald's Donuts that sells vegan doughnuts. Imagine my excitement when all 150 pounds of me read that Steve Wynn, the man behind the Encore and Wynn resorts, had gone vegan and mandated that the restaurants at these hotels have vegan menus, although I assumed that meant boring salads with pre-packaged carrot sticks, soggy tofu and absolutely no nutritional value.

A few months ago, after chef Brandon Boudet toured his newly acquired Mid-City pub Tom Bergin's, a man and his daughter stopped by to reminisce. As the man walked his 30-ish pregnant daughter around the wood-paneled room, he told her a secret. "He told her 'This is where I proposed to your mom,'" Boudet said. "And she just started crying. She said her mom had just passed away six months beforehand. There are some serious stories in this place. " For 63 years, the Irish cottage pub Tom Bergin's has stood out as a winsome incongruity amid the stone palaces of Museum Row near Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue (the original Tom Bergin's was built in 1936 and moved to its current location 13 years later)

Dear SOS: My parents and I had the most wonderful time dining at restaurant Julienne in Santa Barbara. By far, the standout for us was the shaved asparagus salad with house-made coppa. Now, the only problem is that we would love to re-create the salad at home. We were hoping you could help us in getting the recipe from chef Justin West. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Stephanie Studer Granada Hills Dear Stephanie: Bright, colorful and amazingly easy to make, this shaved salad makes for a striking presentation, whether you're entertaining company or savoring a simple night at home.

  Egg salad sandwich with dill Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 2 tablespoons minced green onion 1/4 cup minced celery 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce 2 tablespoons chopped dill 8 slices olive bread Cracked black pepper ...

Dear SOS: I had a delicious meal at Nage restaurant on a recent trip toWashington, D.C., and I would love to have the recipe for its clementine salad. Kathleen Sheldon Santa Monica Dear Kathleen: It's a perfect way to highlight these sweet little mandarin oranges. Nage combines the orange segments with fresh shaved fennel, mixed baby greens, crystallized ginger and toasted salted cashews, tossing the salad with a wonderfully sweet and fragrant five-spice dressing.

Kale is about as unlikely a food star as you can imagine. It's tough and fibrous. Bite a piece of raw kale and you'll practically end up with splinters between your teeth. Nevertheless, kale has become a green of the moment because, given a little special care, it actually can be made not only edible but delicious. You can cook it, of course, the lower and slower the better. But surprisingly, one of the most popular ways to use kale these days is in salads. Though kale leaves have always been found on almost every salad bar, it wasn't for reasons of edibility - it was for decoration, because this was one green so tough it would last forever without wilting.

Total time: 50 minutes, plus cooling time for the squash Servings: 4 to 6 1 pound section of butternut squash, unpeeled (preferably the thinner neck) Olive oil 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves) 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme Salt 1 ounce grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about ¼ cup loosely packed) 1 pound kale 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise into quarters, then seed and remove any of the stringy center.

  Kuzina's butterflied roasted eggplant salad Total time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours steeping time for the aromatic olive oil Servings: 2 Note: The garlic olive oil and aromatic olive oil can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Garlic olive oil Peeled cloves from 1/2 head of garlic, about 7 to 8 cloves 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Greek In a small saucepan, combine the garlic and oil and cook over low heat until the garlic turns a faint golden color, about 20 minutes.

  Total time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours resting time for the salad Servings: 6 Note: Adapted from "Ten: All the Foods We Love . . . and Ten Recipes for Each" by Sheila Lukins. Assemble the blueberry fool no more than 2 hours prior to serving. Berry fruit salad 1 pint fresh blueberries, lightly rinsed and patted dry 1 pint fresh blackberries, lightly rinsed and patted dry 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the blueberries, blackberries, lemon juice and sugar.

Total time: 1 hour Servings: 4 to 6 1/4 cup farro Water Salt 1/4 cup mixed dried fruit (such as sour cherries, cranberries, raisins) 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier 1 pound kale (about 2 bunches) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese 2 tablespoons minced red onion 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar Freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Toast the farro in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat until it smells nutty and turns golden, about 5 minutes.

There's only a one-letter difference between "Vegas" and "vegan," but until recently the two could not have been further apart. For years, the best herbivore option in Sin City has been a nondescript shop on Spring Mountain Road called Ronald's Donuts that sells vegan doughnuts. Imagine my excitement when all 150 pounds of me read that Steve Wynn, the man behind the Encore and Wynn resorts, had gone vegan and mandated that the restaurants at these hotels have vegan menus, although I assumed that meant boring salads with pre-packaged carrot sticks, soggy tofu and absolutely no nutritional value.