Servery Creations: A Heartier Take on a Classic Salad

By Reed Thornburg     1/10/12 6:00pm

While returning to campus after a long period of hibernation in the comforts of home is challenging, the servery offers students at least one area of relief. Previously confined to a pantry or a refrigerator, the vastness of the serveries once again provides a massively wide range of food options.

Even if the weather remains wildly inconsistent, winter always seems to necessitate heartier fare. As such, this week's servery dish aims to rectify the myth that all salads are "light" or "boring." Sure, a salad should be refreshing, but it should also be interesting; it should have multiple flavors and textures.

We will adapt a classic Mediterranean salad using servery staples to arrive at satisfying wintry variation. As Nicolas Cage narrates in the 1987 film Raising Arizona, "These [are] the happy days, the salad days as they say …"

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Mediterranean Salad

       Salad

    •  4-5 pita triangles

    •  2 cups loosely packed mixed greens

    •  2 cup loosely packed fresh spinach

    •  3 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese

    •  3-4 tablespoons chopped red onions

    •  10-15 whole green olives

    •  1 tablespoon olive oil (to coat pita triangles)        

       Vinaigrette

    •  1 tablespoon apple juice

    •  2 tablespoons olive oil

    •  2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

    •  2 teaspoons honey

    •  juice of two lemon wedges

    •  salt and pepper to taste

Technique:

First, place a tablespoon of olive oil on a standard servery plate and angle the plate and rotate it to coat the entire surface. Next, take each pita triangle and very lightly coat both sides by placing them on the plate. Take the pita wedges to the panini press found in most serveries near the sandwich stations, and lightly grill the wedges on both sides (checking every 15 seconds for a light amber hue). Carefully use tongs to remove the wedges and place them back on the plate. Combine all salad ingredients and toss gently. Finally, move all vinaigrette elements to a servery cup and vigorously whisk a fork at the base of the cup to create a light yellow emulsion. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the entire salad, and toss once more.

In addition, some easy possible variations on this recipe include: adding pieces of grilled chicken breast for a more substantial complete meal. Also, the addition of dried cranberries can add a bright and sweet note to finish the salad. All in all, make sure to keep a balance between sweet and bitter flavors and you should have no problem crafting an excellent salad.

If you have any suggestions, comments or favorite servery recipes, please email Reed Thornburg at rst4@rice.edu.

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