I've only cooked for a really big crowd (a hundred people or more) a few times, but I've learned the hard way that one of the keys to success has less to do with the cooking techniques and more to do with the tableware and the attitude. Think big and gather up all your confidence. Ask for help.
This is how I ended up serving a salad for 150 people out of a giant washtub usually reserved for the booze at our parties. Here's the story of how the salad came together, if we kept our cool, and the recipe reduced to a more manageable size.
The salad was for a fundraiser at our local CSA farm, Amber Waves, and their new initiative, the Amagansett Food Institute. I cooked with a friend who gets credit for the sweet amaranth addition.
For inspiration, we went with what was around us; baby kale and chard — roots still attached — and some spotted juvenile lettuces all collected from the farm, asparagus gathered by the armful at another farm down the road, garlic scapes whizzed in to the dressing, then some amaranth for bulk. A big scoop of Zante currants from the cupboard, a few purple onions from the onion basket; we even had black sesame seeds to sprinkle on top. On the way out the driveway, chive blossoms caught me eye so I grabbed a wad and rubbed them between my palms over the salad, like a blessing.
It was colorful, seasonal, local, vegan, nut and dairy-free, and gluten-free. Folks, it's not often I pull off such a feat. Enjoy it while it lasts.
This is the sort of dish that truly comes from what is. What is around, what is inspiring, what is fresh and what the earth is giving. More than a recipe, it's a reminder to cook with the good stuff, and not to be afraid. You're heart's in there right? It'll be great.
It's is a breezy recipe, meant to be a suggestion, some guidance on the basics of a salad based on a foundation of greens and a grain. Nothing more. No stress. Substitute where your heart says so.
Baby Greens Salad with Asparagus, Sweet Amaranth and Green Garlic Dressing
Serves 6-81/4 cup amaranth grain (or other whole grain)
3/4 cups stock or water
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed to bite-size (or green beans, sliced summer squash, etc.)
1 tablespoon nut oil (or olive oil)
Sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup currants
1/2 medium purple onion, finely chopped
Tender greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula, baby kale, chard, beet greens, etc.) to fill a medium-sized salad bowl
Handful sprouts
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup edible flower petals
For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 stalk green garlic
Pinch cayenne
One-finger pinch sea salt
Preheat the over to 350°F.
To prepare the amaranth, combine with the liquid in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Don't let it get gloppy. Drain through a cheesecloth or super-fine mesh sieve and lay out to cool on a baking sheet. (If using another whole grain instead of amaranth, prepare the grain according to package instructions to yield about 1/2 cup cooked.)
Meanwhile, on a small baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the nut oil and a one-finger pinch sea salt. Roast for about 8 minutes, agitating the pan halfway through. Remove and set aside to cool.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a fry pan and sauté the currants and onion with a one-finger pinch sea salt, stirring until fragrant and the onions begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool, then toss with the cooked grains.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and whiz until foamy and all of the garlic is processed into fine bits.
To assemble the salad, place the greens and sprouts in the bowl and toss with all but 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the cooled amaranth mixture across the top, then the roasted asparagus. Drizzle the remaining dressing across the top and sprinkle with any garnishes.
More Party Dishes from The Kitchn
Pictured above, left to right:
• Potluck Side Dish Recipe: Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice
• Smoky Corn & Jalapeno Dip
More (not pictured above)
• Chili-Lime Steak Fajitas
• Pearl Couscous Salad with Mint and Pecans
• Coffee Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce
(Images: Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan; Amy Gulden)
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love the combination of ingredients, love the serving method. & so inspiring. thank you for this :)
The salad looks great but it's definitely not a good idea to serve food out of a galvanized metal washtub. Galvanized metal is pretty toxic.
I was going to echo the galvanized steel warning. As a homebrewer and BBQ tinkerer, I always avoid galvanized hardware when building equipment.
Definitely check the food-grade safety of anything you pick up at the hardware store prior to using in food prep.
I trust everyone is okay after this one party, though.
Very unappetizing photo.
The salad sounds wonderful! The serving vessel - not so much.
This is amazing I love it, definatley plan to use this.
What a fun idea & guess what, they've now got cute plastic tubs similar in shape & size so keep the ideas flowing. What I liked best was showing you could make the salad with ... whatever was available right there, or no more than "down the road"
I do find it odd-- the emphasis of this piece on knowing where one's produce comes from and then preparing and serving it half-hazzardly in non-food grade ware. With today's access to such information, dishes created truly from the heart take this important feature into account-- especially those shared with others via a food website.
That said, it looks like a great recipe. But too carefree in the execution.
Zinc itself is an important nutrient. It's in my Flintstones vitamins.
I can taste the aluminum now!
Recipe looks great and love the container, but not for serving out of!
This lovely post had the unexpected result of sending me off to read more about galvanized metal. While I've never had the need to serve salad for 150 people, I do use a galvanized trough to water my donkeys.... And concerns expressed here made me wonder if this was safe for them. From what I've read, the material doesn't leach unless heated (in other words, don't cook in it or with it) or exposed to acidic ingredients (hence the concerns about the lemony dressing). I learned a few new things as a result of this post!
There is such a dog pile tendency with online commenting. After the first person commented on the galvanized washtub, I wonder why so many people felt the need to repeat the exact same sentiment? I thought it was clear from the start and the repetition didn't add anything.
I love this site because of the great recipes and the inventiveness. This post has both.
All right, really lay into me now - and don't just say it once, say it 27 times.
Good one, Margaret! I agree with you, to the power of... 27
MargaretR, I think the reason to chime in is to lend credibility and adiditonal perspective to the food safety concern. Also so the issue doesn't get buried among the comments on the actual recipe. I don't think it's a dog pile effect. It's just how the Internet works. ;)
The salad looks incredible but after experience with galvanized hardware, the safety concern outweighs the yummy factor in the post.
Now, put a clean trash bag liner in there and serve away!. . . . Unless there's BPA in Glad Bags. ;)
Nothing to say about the galvanized metal issue...I made my version of this salad in regular old dishes.
The recipe, or suggestion of a recipe and encouragement to use what's growing, led to the salad of my dreams. I used whole wheat couscous (for expedience on a weeknight), onion, and currants, as the recipe suggests. We grilled some asparagus and summer squash and tossed those in. We had freckles and red romaine lettuces, curly kale, rainbow chard, and nasturtiums from our garden. I made a dressing with orange and lemon juices, a little tahini (we can't do seeds in our house, but the sesame flavor was nice), and a few extra garlic greens. So wonderful! So make this salad. Just maybe not in galvanized metal. :)