Salads: The Changing Leaves of Fall

Salads are usually associated with warm weather and the relaxed, languorous meals of summer. All summer long we’ve indulged in colorful, high-spirited salads. We went to farmers’ markets for just-picked corn and tossed the crisp, sweet kernels in vinaigrette. We sliced half-moons of ice-green cucumbers into salads to cool us down. We boiled freshly shelled lima beans and served them glossy with olive oil and flecked with herbs.

The garden was our inspiration, too, and we couldn’t get enough of the juicy tomatoes growing in the back yard, the freshly pulled red onions, and the basil growing by the back steps, spicing up the sultry air.

But salads aren’t just for summer. As the riotous colors of June, July and August make way for the earthy tones of fall, the markets fill with golden and russet-colored pears; crisp bunches of herbal-scented celery; apples of muted red and green, still powdered with bloom; perfect heads of Belgian endive; and new-crop walnuts, crisp and milky-sweet. These wonderful products are the starting point for inspired salads that evoke the feeling of autumn--even in Southern California.

Crunchy apples add their tart-sweet flavor and are classically combined with nuts and celery. And fall is the time for elegant salads of succulent, pale yellow Belgium endive. Raw, thinly sliced cool-weather vegetables--artichoke hearts, celery, carrots, tender turnips--make a satisfying salad when combined with a few leaves of tender lettuce and spiked with shavings of Parmesan cheese and capers.

The wild mushrooms of autumn, thinly sliced and tossed with garlicky cubes of grilled bread, make a beautiful dish, all in shades of warm gold and brown. And pears, buttery-sweet and crisp, are transformed into salad when combined with slivers of tart radicchio and creamy white goat cheese.

Fall is the season for escarole and curly endive; both work well in salads when used raw. The dark green outer leaves tend to be tougher and possess a larger share of the characteristic bitterness than the milder, more tender, creamy yellow leaves found at the center. To temper the outer leaves, cut them into thin strips--this softens the texture and lessens the impact of the flavor. These pungent greens contrast wonderfully with rich, tangy cheeses, such as Gorgonzola or blue cheese, and with fall fruits, such as pears and apples.

Grapes are a wonderful addition to autumn salads. They provide a sweet liquid note and their jewel-like flesh adds sparkle. For an unusual salad, try combining grapes and arugula. The play of strong-tasting leaves of arugula against the perfumed sweetness of grapes is remarkable. Add a few leaves of sweet lettuce, thinly sliced mushrooms, the last garden tomato, and slivers of tart green pepper and toss in a dressing of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Fall continues the season for sweet peppers--glorious in shades of red, yellow, green, orange and purple. Their sweetness and exuberant coloring extend the feeling of summer into the cooler months. Roast a colorful assortment and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to intensify the sugars found in their flesh.

And don’t neglect an unusual fall fruit, the persimmon. Its extraordinary orange coloring and almost jellied texture can create a dazzling salad. Arrange segments of peeled persimmon on a plate, along with other seasonal fruits, garnish with a few leaves of tangy lettuce and drizzle with a lightly fruity vinaigrette.

Special garnishes can add a festive note. To embellish a fall salad, you can add a sprinkling of shiny pomegranate seeds or a few freshly cracked hazelnuts or walnuts. Celery leaves possess a delicate beauty and bracing flavor and are lovely and unexpected as a garnish. Or use leaves of bronze-color or reddish lettuce as an accent to add to the autumnal feeling.

Dressings can also be in keeping with the season. Try drizzling a little walnut oil over bitter or peppery greens to add a rich, slightly resinous note. Balsamic vinegar, amber in color and distinctively sweet and aromatic, seems especially suited to fall.

Extract juice from a ripe pomegranate and combine a few drops with a mix of walnut oil and extra-virgin olive oil for an interesting dressing; this is especially good in salads featuring unusual fall fruits. Homemade raspberry vinegar is delightful when you want a touch of fruit flavor in a dressing. And fine imported mustard blended into an olive oil and wine vinegar dressing can add a warm note to cool-weather salads.

Unbelabored, often featuring ingredients in their raw states, cool and fresh or just touched by warmth, salads bring us close to the earth and nature, and give us a special link to the season, a fleeting brilliance before winter.

AUTUMN PEAR SALAD

3 to 4 stalks celery heart

3 ounces Parmesan cheese

Small handful walnut halves

3 large firm-ripe pears

Extra-virgin olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Radicchio leaves or other red or bronze-colored lettuce leaves

Remove strings from celery and cut into thin diagonal slices. Reserve few celery leaves. Cut Parmesan cheese into paper-thin slivers. Coarsely chop walnuts. Core and thickly slice pears. If not using immediately, toss pears with little lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Combine celery, cheese, walnuts and pears in bowl. Drizzle with little olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss very gently. Line serving platter with radicchio leaves and gently arrange salad on top. Garnish with reserved celery leaves. Makes 4 servings.

BEET AND RADICCHIO SALAD

1 bunch small red or golden beets

1 medium head radicchio

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon walnut oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Trim all but 1/2-inch from tops of beets. Tightly wrap beets in foil and bake at 450 degrees about 30 minutes, until tender but slightly resistant. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and thinly slice.

Cut radicchio in half through core and rinse under cold water. Dry well. Cut out core and slice leaves into slivers. Arrange beets in center of serving platter and surround with slivered radicchio. Drizzle with oils and vinegars. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss at table. Makes 4 servings.

SALAD OF BITTER GREENS AND CHEESES

2 slices Italian bread, cut 1/4-inch thick

1 clove garlic, cut in half

1 small head escarole, coarse outer leaves removed

1 small head romaine, bruised outer leaves removed

2 to 3 bunches arugula, stems trimmed

Handful radicchio leaves

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, cut into paper-thin shavings

3 ounces dolcelatte Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Lightly toast bread. While still warm, rub bread with cut garlic clove. Cut bread into small dice.

Cut escarole, romaine, arugula and radicchio into thin strips and place in shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle Parmesan shavings over greens. Add Gorgonzola and top with diced bread. Drizzle salad with olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss well. Makes 2 to 4 servings.