SALADS : CALIFORNIA-STYLE SUMMER MAIN DISHES

What do you do when 90 food editors from the United States and Canada announce they’re planning a visit to your hometown? After facing up to the fact that a retreat to somebody else’s hometown is a futile gesture, you do what anybody expecting houseguests does. You start making plans to show off the best of your community. At least that what’s local newspaper food editors did when the Newspaper Food Editors and Writers Assn. decided to make Los Angeles the site of this year’s annual weeklong conference.

Since the members of the association are all food writers, their interest in California’s cuisine put menu planning at the top of the priority list. And since the recently refurbished Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, with its wonderful rejuvenated early ‘30s Art Deco decor, was chosen as convention site, it seemed appropriate to begin the conference with a luncheon menu featuring a return to the early ‘30s when Hollywood was at its most glamorous.

What better way to remind our visitors of the culinary delights that have existed here for many a year? Consensus as to what to serve came quickly. In fact it was a shoo-in. Southern California has long been noted for serving fascinating salads, so nothing could get a dining marathon off to a better start than that old Hollywood favorite, the now defunct Brown Derby’s famous Cobb Salad.

The Cobb Salad is a good example of a trendy dish that never loses its appeal, thus becoming a true culinary classic. It’s a simple salad with relatively ordinary ingredients. In fact, it is really nothing more than a wonderful amalgamation of finely chopped meats and vegetables tossed with a well-seasoned oil and vinegar dressing. It’s the preparation and the presentation that makes it different from any other chef’s salad. And that may be why it has remained so popular.

Major Role in Menus

Planning menus for the visiting editors reinforced the awareness of how important salads are to this part of the country. Main dish salads in particular play a major role in our daily menus. Cool, crisp salads make light and lovely meals on evenings when you really don’t want to even think about eating.

Or it may be that sturdier salads, something that will satisfy even a ravenous surfer, will have more appeal. Whichever type you choose, summer suppers built around salads can be a boon to a busy cook, particularly since they require little enhancement. Include some interesting breadsticks, fancy crackers or crusty warm bread, perhaps, and for dessert, if one is necessary, nothing could be better than some chilled, first-of-the-season fresh fruit. A cool drink . . . or an aromatic cup of a favorite herb tea . . . will round out a perfect light meal that suits the season.

Be warned, however, that although a salad supper sounds as if it easily can be whipped up at the last minute, some of the better ones do require some preparation time.

The Cobb Salad is a perfect example. Simple as it is, some of the ingredients must be prepared well in advance. The chicken and bacon must be cooked and chilled, the eggs boiled and chilled and the dressing mixed. The greens must be rinsed and dried, and, most time consuming of all, even if you use a food processor, each ingredient should be chopped separately. We suggest you do the preparation work the day before and refrigerate everything in separate plastic bags. Then, getting dinner on the table the next day actually will be a snap.

Marinated Squid Salad

Happily, today’s main dish salads are much more than a mere hodgepodge of greens and so-called salad vegetables such as tomatoes and onions. Ingredients that might never have been considered suitable for salads even five years ago are now not only acceptable, but desirable. A trendy seafood mixture based on marinated squid or a chicken salad with Oriental flavorings that were almost impossible to find a few years ago are easily prepared at home. Or a whimsical yearning for out-of-season flavors such as corned beef and cabbage can produce an offbeat salad meal that merits repeating time and again.

And, of course, sometimes unplanned salads are the best. A cursory check of the refrigerator to see if there are some usable leftovers, a quick stop at a nearby produce counter and an adventurous hand in mixing a light--or occasionally not-so-light--dressing will get you off to a good start.

Essentially the only requirement for a successful main dish salad is the willingness to experiment a bit. The accompanying recipes will show how easy it is to combine non-traditional ingredients with many more or less traditional salad ingredients to create some very interesting meals. Give them a try . . . but after that you’re on your own.

COBB SALAD

1/2 head iceberg lettuce

1/2 bunch watercress

1 small bunch chicory or curly endive

1/2 head romaine

2 tablespoons minced chives

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and diced

1 avocado, peeled and diced

3 hard-cooked eggs, diced

1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese

Special French Dressing

Chop iceberg, watercress, chicory and romaine into fine pieces. Combine in wide, shallow bowl. Add chives.

Arrange diced tomatoes, chicken, bacon, avocado and eggs in narrow strips across top of greens. Sprinkle with cheese. Chill. At table just before serving, toss with 1/2 cup Special French Dressing. Serve remaining dressing on side. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Special French Dressing

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon English mustard

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic and oils. Chill, covered. Shake well before using. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. SCALLOP-SHIITAKE SALAD

2 pounds scallops

1 cup water

1 tablespoon slivered ginger root

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Dash sesame oil

1 teaspoon snipped chives

2 tablespoons sugar

White pepper

4 to 6 pieces fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, cut in strips

1 (15-ounce) can baby corn

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

Cut scallops in halves. In skillet, combine water with ginger, garlic and salt to taste. Heat to simmer. Add and poach scallops about 5 minutes or until no longer pink in color. Drain and cool.

Combine soy sauce, vegetable oil, vinegar, sesame oil, chives and sugar in glass container. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add scallops, mushrooms and corn. Chill well for flavors to blend. Before serving, fold in kiwi slices. Makes 6 servings. MARINATED SQUID SALAD

2 pounds squid, cleaned

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon cilantro

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt, white pepper

1 Belgian endive

2 to 3 Italian plum tomatoes, cut into wedges

Cut squid into 1/2-inch rings. Combine olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in glass bowl. Add onion, cilantro and sugar. Mix well with squid. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Let stand in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve squid with endive leaves and tomato wedges. Garnish with green onion leaves, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings. CHICKEN SUMI SALAD

1 (3-ounce) package chicken-flavored Top Ramen

1 small head cabbage, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 cups shredded cooked and chilled chicken

Carol’s Dressing

Remove flavor packet from ramen package and reserve for dressing. Crush ramen noodles into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Toss together cabbage, green onions, almonds, sesame seeds and chicken. Add noodles and toss again. Just before serving, add dressing and toss again. Makes about 10 servings. Carol’s Dressing

Flavor packet from Top Ramen

1/2 cup oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt, pepper

Blend flavor packet, oil, vinegar and sugar in measuring cup or small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Before using, beat with whisk to blend well. REUBEN SALAD IN WHEAT ROLLS

1/2 corned beef brisket (about 1 pound)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

5 tablespoons chili sauce

2 1/4 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons minced green pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickles

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt, white pepper

8 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup diced Swiss cheese

1/4 cup minced celery

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Lemon juice

24 small whole-wheat rolls

Romaine or other salad greens

Shredded cabbage, optional

Simmer corned beef brisket with water to cover in large saucepan until tender, about 2 hours. Drain and cool. Chop brisket.

Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, rice vinegar, green onions, green pepper, pickles and garlic. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Mix with sauerkraut. Cover and let marinate several hours in refrigerator.

Add corned beef, cheese, celery, onion and lemon juice to taste to sauerkraut mixture. Cover and chill until serving time.

Toast wheat rolls, if desired. Cut off thin slice from each roll. Hollow out rolls (save insides to make bread crumbs or bread pudding, if desired). Fill each with about 1/4 cup salad. Tuck in small piece of romaine into each salad with bread top. Serve on bed of crisp shredded cabbage. Makes 8 to 12 servings, 2 to 3 rolls per person. LEON SALAD

1 head lettuce, finely chopped

1 head romaine, finely chopped

1/4 pound Italian salami, cut julienne

1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

Leon Dressing

Combine lettuce, romaine, salami, cheese and beans in bowl. Toss with Leon Dressing and serve. Makes 6 servings. Leon Dressing

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. TACO SALAD

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

Bottled French dressing

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

1/2 head lettuce, finely shredded

2 tomatoes, cut in wedges

1 (8-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 cup radish slices

1 (6 1/4-ounce) package tortilla or corn chips

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1 cup (4-ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Pitted black olives, sliced

Sour cream

Brown meat and drain. Add 1/3 cup dressing, onion, salt, pepper and oregano. Simmer 5 minutes. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, radishes and enough dressing to moisten. Toss lightly.

For each salad, serve meat mixture over tortilla chips. Top with lettuce mixture, avocado, cheese, olives and sour cream, as desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 24-HOUR SALAD

4 cups shredded salad greens

1 1/2 cups julienne ham strips

1 1/2 cups julienne sliced cheese

1 1/2 cups cooked peas

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 cup diagonally sliced celery

1 small cucumber, sliced

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Layer salad greens, ham, cheese, peas, mushrooms, onion, celery and cucumber in large salad bowl. Blend mayonnaise, curry and sugar. Spread over salad to seal. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add bacon and toss. Makes 8 servings. PORK-NOODLE SALAD

4 cups julienned cooked pork roast

1/2 cup sliced green onions with tops

Ginger Dressing

4 ounces coil noodles, cooked and drained

2 cups spouts

4 ounces Chinese pea pods

Crisp lettuce

Combine pork, green onions and half of Ginger Dressing. Cover and chill well. Mix noodles, sprouts and remaining half of dressing. Cover and chill well.

Drop pea pods in boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes. Cool in ice-cold water and reserve for garnish. Arrange noodles around border of lettuce-lined platter. Mound pork salad in center of dish. Drain peas and arrange around pork salad or as desired. Makes 6 servings. Ginger Dressing

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine garlic, pepper, ginger, soy sauce, mayonnaise and sesame oil. Blend well. Chill until needed.