Greens With Gusto

A fall salad should stand up to the season's hearty fare. While dressed greens are simple and refreshing alongside a main course ladled from a simmering pot, that salad can be given a boost. This is the moment to toss red- and green-leaf lettuces with a piquant lemon vinaigrette, ripe avocados, and chili pepper. For something even more gutsy to offset a meaty centerpiece, slice licoricelike fennel, add it to a bowl of tender romaine hearts, cucumbers, and red onion, and bathe the crisp mixture in a creamy mayonnaise. Arugula's peppery leaves, accompanied by wedges of a baked omelet with feta, are substantial enough to be a course on their own. Add a few slices of roast chicken or rare steak to any of these plates of greens, and you can skip the entree.

LEAF LETTUCES WITH AVOCADO SALAD
SERVES 4

1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, cored and coarsely torn
1/2 head green-leaf lettuce, cored and coarsely torn
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 ripe avocado
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 poblano chili pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

On a large platter, combine the lettuces.

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk in the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture emulsifies.

Halve and pit the avocado. Use a spoon the size of the avocado. Slip it between the skin and flesh of one half. Remove the avocado flesh and cut it into thin slices. Transfer to the bowl of lemon dressing. With a rubber spatula, turn the avocado in the dressing to coat it all over. Peel, slice, and turn the other half of the avocado in the dressing.

Add the cherry tomatoes, poblano, scallions, and cilantro or parsley and salt and pepper to the avocado mixture. Pour the mixture over the greens and serve at once.

ROMAINE WITH FENNEL, CUCUMBER, AND CREAMY DRESSING
SERVES 4

To make this creamy salad of greens, fennel, and cucumber into a main course, top it with cold roast chicken or sliced turkey breast.

1 head romaine or 2 romaine hearts, cored and coarsely torn
2 small fennel bulbs, halved and very thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
3 flat anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, fennel, cucumbers, and red onion.

In a food processor with the machine running, work the garlic and scallions until they are chopped. Add the anchovies and work the machine until they are coarsely chopped.

Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Pulse just until the dressing is smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Taste the dressing for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if you like. Add half of the dressing to the salad and toss gently. Add more dressing, to taste. Serve at once.

ARUGULA WITH BAKED FETA OMELET
SERVES 4

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 pound imported feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 bunches arugula, stems trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand an 8- inch skillet with a heatproof handle.

In the skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, feta, and cheddar with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pan.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the mixture for 30 minutes or until it is set and golden.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the red wine vinegar a little at a time and toss well.

Cut the omelet into 8 wedges. Divide the arugula among 4 salad plates and garnish each with 2 omelet wedges. Sprinkle the greens with more pepper and serve at once.

Ask the Cooks: Cold Potato

When making potato salad, how can I cool the potatoes so they don't turn gray-brown?
DAVE DE LUCIA / / / Norwich, Vermont

The cooling method will depend on the size, shape, and condition of the spuds. Start with well-washed whole potatoes. Set them in a large pot and barely cover them with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and boil the potatoes until they pass the skewer test: With a fork, the tip of a knife, or a bamboo skewer, poke the potato. If you can pierce it to the center with a steady pressure, and the skewer comes out easily, your potatoes are done. Unpeeled potatoes can cool in their skins. You can also plunge hot potatoes into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking very quickly, a technique chefs call "shocking." This technique has a tendency to add a little moisture to the finished product. If potatoes still discolor after following these methods, chances are they were stored in extreme cold for a long period. Such storage allows a buildup of an iron compound that, when exposed to heat, will darken.

Cooking potatoes that are already diced or sliced requires vigilance, as they can overcook easily. Use the skewer method to test for doneness. Drain the cooked potato pieces well, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and cover with plastic wrap to prevent dehydration, which can also cause darkening. Cooling quickly can help. If possible, put the potatoes in the fridge or rest them on top of another pan containing ice, and allow them to cool completely before continuing.

Answer by Peter J. Kelly, a chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University.