Mazzetto d'Insalata Mista Capovolto
Upside-Down Mixed Salad Bouquet
Yes it is Summer, yes that means salad... But no that does not mean things have to get boring!
Here is a little idea to make your simple, mixed salad into a real party-piece and a showstopper... And the best part about it? It takes absolutely no work at all! Super easy, super fast and simply delightful- who can resist a beautiful, edible bouquet like this?!!
The whole idea and all of the fun of this dish is captured right here in this photo... See all of those layers of delicious ingredients? As soon as you lift away that glass, they will gently slide out onto your plate, dressed and delicious and ready to enjoy!
These were my ingredients this evening, to try out my little experiment, but of course, you can use any salad ingredients that you like- and indeed whichever dressing! But we will get to that shortly, when I explain how to put this together.
What you can see here is some "lollo rosso" lettuce, cucumber, radishes, date tomatoes, fresh oregano, thyme and marjoram and a yellow mini bell pepper.
All you need to remember is that this is indeed going to be a "bouquet", so pick nice, bright, contrasting colors to make it really beautiful.
I wish the little table I use to take my photos on were not QUITE as small as it is, so that I could have managed to have taken a better shot for you good people out there... But at least this one will give you a rough idea!
This was as pretty as can be!
Chop, slice and dice your ingredients and pluck your herbs... That's all you need to do... Then wash and dry your lettuce and prepare to have some fun!
Whether you make your own dressing or not, that is the first thing that needs to go into your bowl. You need a rather tall bowl for this to work, or alternatively, you could also use a drinking glass and make smaller, individual servings. That was actually my intention when I thought this little idea up... But... Well... I was hungry!
I made my own dressing, which was a simple vinaigrette made of olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
And then I began to build up the layers of ingredients, starting with the diced tomatoes and half of the herbs.
Then came the sliced pepper, lashed out flat, so that it would spread out nicely and evenly later.
Then came the cucumber and the remaining herbs...
...and last but not least, the thinly sliced radishes.
And then, I snapped the stalks away and arranged the lettuce leaves on top, in such a way that they looked like a little bouquet... Just keep adding them a few at a time so they you get them looking just right... It's very, very easy to do!
But of course now, once you have served it up, looking like a pretty little plant, you get to have some real fun! Remember that second picture? With the bowl set upside-down on the serving dish? Well that's what you are going to do! Set the dish on top of your bowl and then invert it... You can either get your guests to do this for themselves or do it for them... Either way they will be delighted and thrilled! because food can be fun without being silly!
Once you remove the bowl, or glass, the salad and all of its ingredients will spread out on your serving dish, with a lovely coating of vinaigrette or whichever dressing you chose to use... And all of those colors will soon replace the monotone of the leaves... It's like an edible magic trick!
Isn't that simply delightful? Yes! You're absolutely right... It is!
Upside-Down Mixed Salad Bouquet
Yes it is Summer, yes that means salad... But no that does not mean things have to get boring!
Here is a little idea to make your simple, mixed salad into a real party-piece and a showstopper... And the best part about it? It takes absolutely no work at all! Super easy, super fast and simply delightful- who can resist a beautiful, edible bouquet like this?!!
The whole idea and all of the fun of this dish is captured right here in this photo... See all of those layers of delicious ingredients? As soon as you lift away that glass, they will gently slide out onto your plate, dressed and delicious and ready to enjoy!
These were my ingredients this evening, to try out my little experiment, but of course, you can use any salad ingredients that you like- and indeed whichever dressing! But we will get to that shortly, when I explain how to put this together.
What you can see here is some "lollo rosso" lettuce, cucumber, radishes, date tomatoes, fresh oregano, thyme and marjoram and a yellow mini bell pepper.
All you need to remember is that this is indeed going to be a "bouquet", so pick nice, bright, contrasting colors to make it really beautiful.
I wish the little table I use to take my photos on were not QUITE as small as it is, so that I could have managed to have taken a better shot for you good people out there... But at least this one will give you a rough idea!
This was as pretty as can be!
Chop, slice and dice your ingredients and pluck your herbs... That's all you need to do... Then wash and dry your lettuce and prepare to have some fun!
Whether you make your own dressing or not, that is the first thing that needs to go into your bowl. You need a rather tall bowl for this to work, or alternatively, you could also use a drinking glass and make smaller, individual servings. That was actually my intention when I thought this little idea up... But... Well... I was hungry!
I made my own dressing, which was a simple vinaigrette made of olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
And then I began to build up the layers of ingredients, starting with the diced tomatoes and half of the herbs.
Then came the sliced pepper, lashed out flat, so that it would spread out nicely and evenly later.
Then came the cucumber and the remaining herbs...
...and last but not least, the thinly sliced radishes.
And then, I snapped the stalks away and arranged the lettuce leaves on top, in such a way that they looked like a little bouquet... Just keep adding them a few at a time so they you get them looking just right... It's very, very easy to do!
But of course now, once you have served it up, looking like a pretty little plant, you get to have some real fun! Remember that second picture? With the bowl set upside-down on the serving dish? Well that's what you are going to do! Set the dish on top of your bowl and then invert it... You can either get your guests to do this for themselves or do it for them... Either way they will be delighted and thrilled! because food can be fun without being silly!
Once you remove the bowl, or glass, the salad and all of its ingredients will spread out on your serving dish, with a lovely coating of vinaigrette or whichever dressing you chose to use... And all of those colors will soon replace the monotone of the leaves... It's like an edible magic trick!
Isn't that simply delightful? Yes! You're absolutely right... It is!
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