Like Batman, the classic tossed salad is associated with a lot of origin stories. The most intriguing one is that Lettuce was first consumed as an edible by the ancient Persian Royalty. This was attributed to the sleep induction properties of lettuce that were known as far back as 700 B.C. Persian Royalty was known to eat lavishly, combining many different ingredients while dining. So, there is a fair amount of speculation around the idea that they were some of the first people to have created ” salads .”
Health Benefits
Lettuce is a perfect choice for summers as the water content is quite high and keeps you hydrated. Also, lettuce packs in huge amounts of antioxidants and vitamins which helps in building immunity.
Ingredients
cup of blanched slivered almonds neatly slivered or even whole as per preference: 1
tbsp of whole sesame seeds: 2
head of Iceberg lettuce, preferably torn: 1
head of fresh red leaf lettuce, Shredded or torn: 1
(8 ounce) packet of crumbled feta cheese: 1
(4 ounce) container offresh sliced black olives: 1
cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped in halves or quarters: 1
whole red onion, halved and thinly sliced: 1
fresh buttons of mushrooms, sliced or diced as preferred: 6
cup of well grated Romano cheese (add to taste): 1/4
8 ounce) bottle of Italian salad dressing (as per your preference): 1
flat tsp of chili powder: 1
How To Make Classic Tossed Salad
- Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat.
- Add the almonds carefully into the skillet and stir till they turn brown.
- Add all the sesame seeds as the almonds start picking on that roasted brown color.
- Stir and then cooktill seeds are fully toasted
- Mix the lettuce with feta cheese, olives, almonds, sesame seeds, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and Romano cheese. Toss and serve.
Trivia
- The term Salad came from the Latin word “herbasalta” or “salted herbs,” which was the literal definition of ancient salads.
- The oldest English cookbook, The Forme of Cury (which was written almost a millennia ago in the 1300's), contains the first known recipe for salad, a tossed combination of flowers, vegetables and nuts.
- The adage "salad days" originally meant "time of youthful inexperience" unlike the very recent use of it replacing “sad”. The first use of the adage was recorded at the hands of the great author and playwright William Shakespeare in1606
- The original name for wild lettuce is “Lactucaserriola”, it was quite popularly known as the “prickly lettuce” in the old world.It was commonly grown for medicinal purposes.