SALADS : Memorial Day means summer weather, and the menu forecast is for cooler fare

Although Southern Californians tend to lead the great outdoor life essentially the year-round, there is something magical about the Memorial Day holiday. For some reason, no matter how wonderful the weather has been earlier, the long holiday weekend has come to mean the real kickoff for summer. It’s time for the lawn furniture to be rejuvenated and the grill polished up for an onslaught of warm weather outdoor dining. And it’s time to change our menu planning ideas to concentrate on things cold . . . sandwiches, cool drinks, icy desserts . . . and above all, salads of all types.

Salads that are adjuncts to hamburgers or steaks. Salads that are meals in themselves. Salads that travel well to picnics or potluck suppers. Big salads, little salads . . . but above all, salads filled with interesting and frequently offbeat ingredients. No mere lettuce, tomato and onion combination will do today. Exotic combinations are in; modern salads offer flavor attractions to be reckoned with.

Hearty . . . and stunning . . . main dish salads woo even the most jaded appetite when presented with flair. A pasta salad with cold roast beef, mushrooms and sour cream, a la beef stroganoff, can be an enticing entree for a patio party this weekend or on any hot day. It’s loaded with flavor and is a host’s dream since it not only can be, it must be made ahead to let the flavors meld.

Even an old-fashioned potato salad turns into a fashion plate when the potatoes (new potatoes in this case) are combined with haricots verts , colorful strips of sweet yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes and smoky chunks of smoked salmon, all tossed with a tangy vinaigrette. It’s light and lovely dining at its best.

Somewhat more traditional--if you happen to be Greek, that is--is a delicious salad, the recipe for which was shared with us by Greek-born Cosmas Kapantzos, who, unlikely as it may seem, is the owner-manager of the Astro Burger, an American-style fast food restaurant on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Tart Greek olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, red onion and cucumbers make a spectacular salad platter that Kapantzos dresses with an elegant olive oil dressing.

Still another relatively traditional summer salad that could be either a side dish or a main dish is a multi-bean combination. We found a package of soup beans, called HamBeens, that contained 15 different types of dry beans and lentils, and we made a superb salad from it. But you don’t need to have 15 different beans for a good bean salad, nor is it necessary to use all dry beans. An equally good salad could be made by adding green and yellow wax beans to a selection of dry beans and lentils. Cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of herbs will add some needed color, and a garlicky oil and vinegar dressing will give it a flavor boost.

For sweets lovers, we offer a rich and interesting curried chicken salad served in either a papaya half or a pineapple half. Chutney is used in the dressing to provide a needed spark.

These and the other salads that follow are all excellent choices for a holiday celebration to welcome in summer this weekend. Several of the recipes are given for quantity use. Others are for use on a smaller scale. In either case, it will be easy to expand or reduce the amounts to suit the number of people they must serve.

PASTA SALAD A LA STROGANOFF

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 cups julienne-cut beef

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon paprika

1 red onion, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Few drops hot pepper sauce

2 1/2 cups cooked and drained corkscrew or bow knot pasta, chilled

3 cups shredded lettuce

Tomato Aspic

Sweet yellow or green pepper

Alfalfa sprouts, optional

Saute mushrooms and garlic in melted butter. Add beef and cook briefly to desired doneness. Cool and set aside.

Combine 3/4 cup sour cream, mayonnaise, paprika, onion, mustard, sugar, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce in large bowl. Toss in cold pasta. Fold in mushroom-beef mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Mound mixture over lettuce on large serving platter or rectangular dish. Spread with remaining 3/4 cup sour cream. Garnish with small cut-outs of Tomato Aspic and sweet yellow pepper. Surround mound with alfalfa sprouts. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Tomato Aspic

1 (6-ounce) can tomato juice or tomato juice cocktail

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

Stir together tomato juice and gelatin. Heat over low heat to dissolve gelatin. Pour into 8-inch glass dish(need to check) and chill until firm. Using small cutters, cut into desired shapes.

POTATO SALAD VINAIGRETTE WITH SMOKED SALMON

1/2 pound haricots verts, trimmed

3 to 4 pounds new potatoes

1 cup chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped black olives

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2-ounce) can anchovies, minced, with oil

Salt, pepper

1 sweet yellow pepper, cut into chunks

1 (3-ounce) package smoked salmon, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Cherry tomatoes, optional

Cook haricots in boiling salted water until tender-crisp. Drain and refresh in cold running water. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender but not mushy. Drain and cut into fourths or eights.

Place potatoes in large bowl and while warm, stir in red onions, olives, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, thyme, garlic, anchovies and anchovy oil. Add haricots and yellow pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Sprinkle with smoked salmon before serving and garnish with cherry tomatoes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

KAMAAINA CHICKEN SALAD

6 chicken breast halves

2 stalks celery with tops, halved

1 medium onion, halved

1 medium carrot, peeled and halved

1 (7 3/4-ounce) bottle mango or peach chutney

1/2 cup sour cream or mayonnaise

2 teaspoons curry powder

Salt

4 to 8 papayas, halved and seeded, or 1 to 2 pineapples (depending on size), halved and pulp scooped out

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Chopped green onions, optional

Place chicken breasts, celery, onion and carrot in medium saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes.

Let chicken cool in broth until cool enough to handle. Bone and skin chicken. (Discard vegetables and broth or reserve for other use.) Cut chicken in 3/4-inch cubes and place in medium bowl.

Combine chutney, sour cream and curry powder, blending well. Add to chicken and toss to coat well. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. At serving time, cut papayas in halves and discard seeds. Fill papaya halves or pineapple boats with chicken mixture and sprinkle with macadamias and coconut. Garnish with green onions. Makes 8 servings.

COSMAS KAPANTZOS’ GREEK SALAD

4 tomatoes, cut in halves and sliced lengthwise

2 cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Greek olives

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 teaspoon Greek oregano

3/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons white vinegar

Salt

Alternately arrange rows of tomato slices and cucumber slices on chilled platter. Top with green pepper and onion slices. Sprinkle with olives, feta cheese and oregano. Drizzle over olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Cover and chill until serving time. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Greek oregano is available in Greek markets.

FRUIT SALAD WITH RASPBERRY CREAM DRESSING

1 large ripe pineapple

2 grapefruits

3 oranges

2 pints strawberries

1 medium cantaloupe

1 medium honeydew melon

Lettuce leaves

Cranberry-Raspberry Cream Dressing

Peel, core and cut pineapple into 1-inch cubes. Peel and section grapefruits and oranges, cutting large sections in halves or thirds. Wash and stem strawberries. Halve cantaloupe and honeydew, then discard seeds and cut into chunks.

Place fruit separately in plastic bag or bowls and chill well. At serving time, arrange fruits separately in strips over lettuce leaves placed on large serving platter. Serve Cranberry-Raspberry Cream Dressing on side. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Cranberry-Raspberry Cream Dressing

1 (1-pound) can jellied cranberry sauce

1 (10- or 12-ounce) jar raspberry jelly or jam

1 cup sour cream

Lemon juice, optional

Combine cranberry sauce, raspberry jelly and sour cream in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade or in blender. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

MULTI-BEAN SALAD

1 (1-pound) bag 15-bean assortment, or 1 pound assorted dry beans of choice

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup minced cilantro

Salt, pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups minced onions

1 cup minced parsley

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

Thinly sliced sweet red, green and/or yellow peppers

Black olives, optional

Cook beans according to package directions. Drain and chill well. Mix together olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, onions and parsley. Toss with beans and fold in cherry tomatoes. Garnish with colored peppers and black olives. Makes about 8 servings.

Note: Fresh or canned wax or green beans may be substituted in part for the dry beans if desired.

BEEF-BARLEY SALAD

1 cup julienne-cut lean cooked roast beef

Dressing

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups cooked barley, rinsed and drained

2 green onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/4 green pepper, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

6 pepperoncini, chopped

1/2 cup julienne-cut sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Crisp butter lettuce leaves

Chopped parsley

Marinate beef strips in 1/3 cup Dressing combined with horseradish and garlic at least 3 hours. Gently toss barley with 1/3 cup Dressing and chill 3 hours.

Combine marinated beef and barley with green onions, celery, green pepper, carrots, pepperoncini, Cheddar cheese, olives and sunflower seeds. Toss together and add 1/2 cup Dressing or to taste.

Place in wide shallow bowl and tuck lettuce leaves around edges. Sprinkle parsley over top. Makes about 8 servings.

Dressing

1 cup safflower oil

2/3 cup wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Dash hot pepper sauce

Combine oil, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Blend thoroughly. Makes about 1 2/3 cups.

WARM TACO SALAD

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 (1 1/4-ounce) packages taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 cups water

2 heads lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 (2 1/4-ounce) cans sliced ripe olives

2/3 cup bottled French dressing

2 (12-ounce) packages corn chips

2 avocados

Lemon juice

Sour cream, optional

Brown ground beef in large skillet, stirring to crumble. Drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Mixture can be refrigerated, covered, at this point until about 20 minutes before serving time. Reheat to boiling before finishing recipe.)

At serving time, toss lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives and French dressing together in large salad bowl. Mix in hot hamburger mixture and toss again.

Arrange wide strip of corn chips around edge of bowl. Peel and slice avocado and dip slices in lemon juice. Arrange avocado slices in center and around edges of salad in attractive pattern. Serve with extra corn chips and sour cream on side, if desired. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Food styling by MINNIE BERNARDINO / Los Angeles Times