Salad

It might seem fussy to separate the vegetables when pickling, but if they're combined, the colors will bleed and they won't be as vibrant.

A virtuous, herby grain salad with a heart of indulgent butterfat. We love the white-on-white effect of using barley, but it's delicious with basically any whole grain; try wheat berries or spelt.

Make this salad without plating anxiety: Treat the daikon rounds like a deck of cards and let them fall where they may.

Tex-Mex ingredients like Monterey Jack, cilantro, corn and lime combine with rice to create an awesome salad. Wrap it in lettuce for a cool, crunchy and fun meal.

This is a great way to use up leftover roasted vegetables and chicken and turn them into a light salad. The roasted veggies are more interesting the second time around in a vinaigrette as opposed to just on their own. Even when I don't have leftover roasted veggies, I have been known to toss some raw ones in the oven just to make this delicious dressing, which I eat on everything: pasta, grilled fish, and, obviously, chicken. The chicken for this salad can be warm or cold, straight from the fridge.

This is a perfect autumn salad: not so much cooked as wilted greens in a warm, savory-sweet vinaigrette. Here in the South, we are lucky to have so many different greens that grow remarkably well virtually all year round. From the traditional collards, spinach, mustard, and turnip greens to the international varieties that have recently made their way here, including bok choy, tatsoi, and komatsuna, there are a variety of tastes and textures to choose from. No matter where you live, experiment with seasonal greens until you find your favorites. If you're shopping at the farmers' market, most of the vendors will be happy to let you have a few nibbles for taste-testing. The same goes for the squash—you can use butternut, acorn, pumpkin, African, or any similar variety. At Summerland Farm, we are lucky to have American chestnut trees planted by my ancestors, and even luckier that those trees survived the chestnut blight that killed most American chestnuts in the first half of the twentieth century. Fresh chestnuts—often grown in California—are available in many natural foods stores in the cooler months. If you can't find chestnuts, hazelnuts or cashews would make a good substitute.

Flavor Profile: Spicy, tart, aromatic, salty, umami-rich Try it with: Any Som Tam (Papaya salad and family) and/or Phat Khanaeng (Stir-fried Brussels sprouts). Needs Khao Niaw (Sticky rice). The recipe for steak salad is a classic, but naam tok made with mushrooms is less common. Yet mushrooms are everywhere in Thailand and echo the texture and even the umami-rich flavor of animal flesh. Thailand has a long history of vegetarian food, for strict Buddhists and those celebrating Buddhist holidays. And while I rarely spend time considering the needs of vegetarians, I figured that if I swapped out the fish sauce in the original for thin soy sauce, then they'd have something to eat at Pok Pok.

Fresh herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, can be subbed for the microgreens.

If the vibrancy of this dressing fades, perk it back up with more lime juice.

Collards and kale have some chew to them. Use your hands to work the dressing into the leaves until they soften and start to wilt.

This salad's secret? Combining raw and roasted beets delivers two textures from one ingredient.

This dressing is a little sweet from the miso and pear, and aromatic from the ginger and lime; pair it with something peppery, like radishes for dipping or a watercress salad.

I love the crimson glow of juicy little pomegranate morsels. Mix with fresh winter lettuces, serve it European style after the entreé, and enjoy.

**Editor's note:**Use this recipe to make Ali Larter's Winter Lettuces with Pomegranate Seeds . This is an everyday dressing that is wonderful on all variations of lettuces and vegetables. It's a welcome change from bottled dressing and so easy to make.

Crunch-crunch-crunch will end up as munch-munch-munch when this salad is served. Flavor is obviously crucial in food, and certainly this salad has flavor, but tactile sensation is also a very important factor in our food perception and appreciation. We want pasta al dente, celery crunchy, bread grilled. This salad has a lot of texture to enjoy.

Tarragon syrup gives this simple but stunning orange and tangerine salad extra personality.

Chermoula, a spice and herb sauce popular in Morocco and Tunisia, can be used as a marinade or condiment.

Created by Epicurious member Kathe Miller from Chelan, Washington, this beautiful salad has a wonderful presentation as well as a rich taste. Try it as a starter, or as a satisfying lunch. Miller recommends pears that are tender but crisp, giving the salad a divine texture and bite that is at once crunchy and juicy.