SALADS FOR ANY OCCASION

The largest component on my table for any meal consists of vegetables – especially salads…and I am not talking about just one vegetable component, two to three contorni (side plates) are the norm.

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A vegetable side dish is called a contorno. It helps to shape and define the meal and is

intended to complement the main course. Main courses are generally served on their own with

vegetables as a side dish so that all the flavours are distinctive and do not swamp one another.

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From my first book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking

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We do not always have meat or fish but I ensure that there is always protein present: eggs, nuts, pulses, cheeses, drained yoghurt, grains. I really enjoy making salads because I can be as creative as I like.

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So if the largest part of any meal is the vegetable component and I always enjoy making them why do I write about meat and fish mainly?

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I have asked myself this and it is because I think that interesting salads are very easy to make and who wants to read about those?

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But maybe some do.

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In this post there are some photographs of some of the salads I make and obviously I have not taken photos of all my salads.

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Ingredients vary, recipes (especially weights and measures) are never followed.

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I enjoy combining cooked ingredients with raw, not just vegetables but meat and fish also.

It is a great way to use up leftovers.

Octopus Salad with Middle Eastern Flavours - Small Fishy Bites

And although I write mainly about Sicilian food what you see below are not necessarily Sicilian or Italian.

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I often include fruit in salads and make different dressings with spices and ingredients from different cuisines especially Italian, Moroccan, Middle-eastern and Asian cuisines.

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French, Greek and Spanish are there also, but they are similar to the ingredients used in Italian cuisine that I almost forgot to mention these cultures – silly me!

Radicchio+fetta+amp+tomato+salad

Asparagi+di+bosco+cooked

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Fennel and blood orange salad 2

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