Garde Manger: Salads & Mayonnaise

As for salads...

If you ever have the opportunity to try greens side by side - it's a great exercise in flavors. Greens have mild, bitter, sweet, and spicy flavors. I didn't think I liked spinach until I realized that was the green that I thought tasted best... shocking!!

• Spring salad: mixed with sweet greens
• Mezclan salad: mixed with bitter greens
• Spicy greens: arugula (YUM!) and watercress
  

Ideas for salads include bistro beef salad with a red wine shallot vinaigrette, roasted mushroom wild mushroom salad, tomato and cucumber salad.

We made vinaigrette and cream based dressings. One dressing we made was a warm bacon dressing for a spinach salad - it tasted of grease and did not appeal to me at all. Based on where we live, this is blasphemous to say that I actually didn't like something with bacon or bacon grease in it, but sorry folks - it's a no go!!

Last thing I want to share is that we made mayonnaise. It tasted delicious! We tasted the mayonnaise side by side with store bought mayo and it tasted SO MUCH BETTER! If you are worried about the raw egg in it, be sure to buy pasteurized eggs.

The mayo* we made had the following ingredients if you want to look for a similar recipe:

• egg yolks, pasteurized
• salt
• white pepper
• dry mustard
• white wine vinegar (good WW vinegar)
• salad oil (not canola, but actual salad oil)
• lemon juice

You whip the egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon colored. Then you add the dry ingredients and half the vinegar and whisk to combine it all. You VERY slowly add the oil one drop at a time into the mixture until it thickens and starts to emulsify. Then you add the oil in a slow stream. If you want to thin it out, add a little vinegar. Continue whisking until oil and vinegar are incorporated. Add the seasonings and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Our group made it using a stand mixer while another made it by hand. Both tasted great and for sake of ease, I recommend a stand mixer if you have one. We in turn used the mayo to make a variety of sandwich dressings - pesto mayo, green mayo (sauce vert - basil, parsley, spinach and chives), and roasted red pepper mayo.

*I didn't give amounts above b/c the recipe I have is for an insane amount of mayo. However, you can use these to find a suitable one online.

Like I said... these were some of the highlights from the last month of class. Hope you enjoy reading!