SUMMER SALADS

He squeezed the juice out of two lemon halves and added his mustard mix (half dijon and whole-grain mustard). Morgante then whisked the mixture, while slowly pouring in olive oil — this helps to break up the oil droplets to mix easier, he said.

The dressing ready, Morgante removed the kale leaves from the stems and packed them on top of one another before slicing thin ribbons width-wise.

The result was thin shreds of kale like confetti.

He delicately cut a hard-boiled egg in half, so the yolk remained intact. He crumbed these separately with a grater.

Morgante poured dressing over the kale shreds — just enough to coat — and topped the salad with the egg crumbles.

Egg is a classic garnish for salads, Morgante said, but it’s typically used in caesar dressing and therefore an appropriate topping for this salad. Croutons could also be added, he said.

There was no need to cook the beets for the slaw Morgante made.

However, “some beets are better raw than others,” he said. It depends on their sweetness.

The beets from Ocean Air Farms tasted just fine to be eaten raw. He peeled their skins and shredded them into matchsticks using a mandolin and did the same with the carrots. Ocean Air expects to have carrots at the markets soon, but other farms might have them available today.

Morgante cut the jalapeños in half and removed the white pith and seeds inside, which is where most of the heat lies.

He mixed lime juice with olive oil, then added the carrots, beets (warning: the beets will turn the carrots a little pink) and jalapeños. Cilantro and seasoning were the finishing touches.

The tart lime juice cut down on the earthiness of the raw beets and the jalapeños added just enough heat (other chilies could be used for more heat, such as serrano, or less, such as Anaheim).

The caesar dressing was very light like a vinaigrette and appropriate for the warm weather. It took away some of the bitterness of the raw kale. The eggs added a creamy element with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.

These salads don’t require a lot of work, Morgante said. An easy vinaigrette brings more flavors to raw salads.

“You’re just chopping them up and eating them,” he said. “You can eat fresh and fast.”

Carrot, beet and chili slaw

Ingredients:
12 ounces carrots, peeled and julienned
8 ounces beets, peeled and julienned
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
as needed kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3/4 teaspoon coriander, fresh ground
as needed black pepper, fresh ground
Method:
1. In a large bowl, toss carrots, beets, oil, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and jalapeños.
2. When the ingredients are well combined, let the mixture marinate for 15 minutes, tossing again occasionally.
3. Add cilantro and coriander; toss to evenly incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Kale Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh
1-2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 3-6 anchovies packed in oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
as needed kosher salt
as needed black pepper, fresh ground
2 eggs, hard cooked and peeled
1 pound kale, remove stems, chiffonade (cut into strips)

Method:
1. Combine the lemon juice, anchovy, garlic and mustard in a food processor; purée until smooth. While machine is running, slowly add oil in a steady stream, to make a creamy dressing.
2. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan. Season your dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
3. Separate egg white from yolk. Separately grate the egg white and yolk on the course side of your cheese grater, store in separate bowls. Cover bowls separately and chill.
4. Toss kale and dressing in a large bowl to coat. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and grated eggs.

Option:
Add croutons and cooked diced chicken and roll up in a large tortilla.