Recipes : Summer Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing : Food Network

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Summer Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing
From Food Network Kitchens Cookbook, Meredith, 2003

Ingredients
Salad:
8 ounces small red-skinned potatoes, halved
Kosher salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)
1 cup chopped fresh green or wax beans
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped

Directions
Ranch Dressing, recipe follows

Ingredients
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups torn mixed greens, such as arugula, romaine, and watercress
1 cup sprouts, such as alfalfa, broccoli, radish, or pea, optional

Directions
Put the potatoes in a small saucepan with enough cold
water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered,
until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a medium bowl
with ice water and salt it as well. Add the corn, beans, and broccoli to the
boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or

strainer to scoop out the vegetables and plunge them immediately into the ice
water. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry, and add to the bowl of potatoes along
with the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss the salad with 1/2 cup of the dressing.
Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. (The salad may be prepared up to
this point 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.)

When ready to serve, toss the salad with the greens and the sprouts, if desired,
and with a bit more dressing if you like your salad on the well-dressed side. Pass
the remaining dressing at the table.

Know-How: Immersing vegetables in boiling salted water and then plunging them into
ice water is called blanching and refreshing. Having the water at a full rolling
boil before adding the vegetables, as well as cooking uncovered, is the key to
keeping green vegetables vibrant.

Ingredients
Ranch Dressing:

Directions
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 scallion (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt, and, with the side of a large
knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small
bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing. Use
immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Yield: about 1 1/3 cups