Salad

For as long as I can remember I’ve been awed by the almost jewel-like beauty of beets. When I was a kid I longed for a crayon that was the exact color of the beets we grew on the ranch so I could use it in all my drawings. I think this is why my mother never had any trouble getting me to eat them! I love beets in salads or on their own, simply drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and a little fresh lemon juice.

This sweet, herby dressing has great texture and bold flavors, and it’s delicious with hardier greens such as baby spinach and romaine. It’s also excellent as a sandwich condiment and drizzled over grilled chicken.

I am lucky to live near the Grey Moss Inn, one of the most beautiful restaurants in San Antonio, which also has the most amazing wine list in the area. I love to eat there whenever I can, and this dressing is one of the reasons. After tasting it the first time, I once again found myself in a restaurant kitchen asking for the recipe. The chef graciously agreed. Try it tossed with tender romaine hearts, or spoon over asparagus (page 145), tomatoes, or steamed green beans.

Few ingredients awaken the taste buds the way fresh lemon does. This dressing has a clean, pure flavor perfectly suited to a light salad of tossed greens. It may also have some magical qualities—it’s the one dressing that gets my nieces to eat salad! It can also be used as a marinade for grilled chicken, shrimp, or pork.

This vinaigrette is excellent on just about any green salad. I especially like it on butterhead lettuce, oak leaf, and other delicate greens. Sweet-and-tangy balsamic vinegar is the star here, so choose one that is good quality.

I love learning new things every time I eat a dish or step into a kitchen or take a cooking class. I was thrilled to discover Maite Gomez-Rejón’s program in Los Angeles called ArtBites, which combines art history and the culinary arts in classes that begin with viewing a collection at a local museum and end in the kitchen. I took a class called “Dining in the Aztec Empire,” in which Maite taught us modern ways to use ingredients that would have been used in what is now central Mexico during the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. I learned this recipe, which uses the ancient ingredients corn and squash, in that wonderful class.

My version of the classic Insalata Caprese—an Italian salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil—uses green avocados in place of the basil for a Mexican twist. I like to say that the red, white, and green represent the Mexican flag! I arrange this on a big serving platter and place it right in the middle of the dinner table or a buffet—it’s visually arresting and really makes the table pop beautifully.

Usually when I make a salad, I start with a base of greens—most often tender butterhead lettuce, my favorite—dress it with a flavorful vinaigrette, and then top it with whatever I have on hand. The combination in this recipe was one I tried once and loved so much that it’s become a staple at my house.

Café Med in Los Angeles serves a salad like this over paper-thin beef carpaccio that I love to order because it’s so light and fresh. When I make it at home, I skip the beef but pile on the greens.

This marinade is my favorite for shrimp, chicken, and flank steak or any other red meat. As with any marinade, the longer you let the shrimp or meat marinate, the better, but on many occasions I’ve had only enough time to throw it together and put it straight on the grill, and the results are still great.

As typically Mexican as the previous recipe is, this one is just as typically American, right down to the Miracle Whip, which I have always preferred to mayonnaise. Naturally sweet shrimp is highlighted by a creamy, mildly sweet, tangy dressing and rich, buttery avocado. This is one of my favorite summer appetizers.