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Century Standout

© Michael Vyskocil

As we enter a new year, 2004, it's always fun and somewhat interesting to look back in time to see just how far we've come. I've always found it interesting to look through old community cookbooks at the public library to see what people considered popular years ago. Do you remember the Watergate Salad craze 20 or 30 years ago? Looking back in time was the inspiration for this article, and I went back to 1970 to find something that still remains popular even today.

Make-ahead layered salads have been the salvation of harried cooks since the early 1970s. Vegetable-packed salads appeared as part of the health craze and have never gone out of style -- for good reason. They are stress tamers that are easily made the day before an event; they also lend themselves to improvisation.

Take the version of vegetable salad below: It uses flavors from Mediterranean cooking, mingling oranges, peppers, feta cheese, and yogurt. And it's less heavy than traditional recipes that use cups of mayonnaise, which are delicious but have lots of calories. Some of the mayonnaise in this salad has been replaced with low-fat yogurt to trim the fat from this salad.

24-Hour Vegetable Salad

To get the best-looking layers, use a bowl that is taller than it is wide.

5 cups torn mixed salad greens

1 medium carrot

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 medium cucumber, halved, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 3/4 cups)

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium orange, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Orange peel strips (optional)

Place salad greens in a 2 1/2-to 3-quart clear straight-sided bowl or souffle dish. Peel the carrot. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully cut the carrot into long, paper-thin ribbons. Set aside. Layer atop salad greens in the following order: mushrooms, 1/4 cup of the cheese, olives, cucumbers, carrot ribbons and green onions.

For the dressing, in a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, orange peel, crushed red pepper and ground black pepper. Spread the dressing over the top of the salad, sealing to the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Garnish with orange slices, walnuts, and orange peel strips. Just before serving toss lightly to coat the vegetables with the dressing. Makes 6 to 8 side-dish servings.

24-Hour Vegetable Salad

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