Carrot and Sunflower Salad

I've never been one for diets. The only carrots that interest me,
are the number you get in a diamond.
- Mae West

This statement from one of cinema's greatest sex symbols should really get more exposure, even though I agree with the first part more than with the second. Diamonds don't really interest me, but as women and girls all around the world obsess over their weight, hurting themselves to conform to unattainable standards, Mae West remains, even in her forties and fifties, a stunningly attractive woman. Really, see for yourselves. And I don't think she either wore size 8 or was depressed about it.

While I admire her joie de vivre and witty comments, I'm ready to argue that carrots have actually quite a lot to offer.  Not only do they contain a vast amount of carotene (making it a vitamer of vitamin A, one that is very important for all of us computer users), but they can be used in a number of interesting, tasty ways. I'm going to start easy, however, with a carrot and sunflower seed salad that goes perfectly with gratin dauphinois You saw here lately.

Ingredients

• Carrots - one per person
• Sunflower seeds - as much as you like but a handful at least
• Garlic - one medium/small  clove
• Sauce base - this can be mayonnaise, sour cream or plain yogurt, depending on Your preferences (and diet)
• Olive oil - one teaspoon

Preparation

Peel the carrots and grate them, but not too thinly. If  You use a very  mince grater, carrots will leak juice that will interfere unpleasantly with the sauce. Mash the garlic with olive oil (it will go much easier with it and the aroma is wonderful). This is best done in the same dish You plan to be serving the salad in, because it spares You the task of scraping up the mortar, or whatever You are using, and cleaning it, while losing half the garlic in the process.

With the garlic mashed and ready, add whatever You chose as sauce base. Mayonnaise and cream can support a bigger amount of garlic than yogurt, so choose as You like it. Mix the mashed garlic with sauce base and sunflower seeds, before adding grated carrots. This will ensure even distribution of the seeds. You're done!

This is quite a strong, piquant salad, so it can be used for dishes that need spicing up - fat, roasted meats, rich, creamy bakes etc. I made it when visiting my parents one day, to go with my Mother's Famous Roast Chicken (capital letter justified, believe me) and the salad vanished before the meat did. Extraordinary.

Spinach and Feta Salad

To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist - the  problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's vinegar.
- Oscar Wilde.

A salad - sounds like the easiest thing to prepare, even for an inexperienced cook. However, it is a common misconception that any vegetables can be mixed in any proportion and soaked in vinaigrette to produce it. Actually, a good salad is not easy to make, because not only the proportions must be right, but the vegetables must be of good quality, since they are eaten raw. 

Another common mistake is chopping the ingredients any old how, on the basis that it's taste we're after, not looks. However, the portion size can influence the taste heavily, so all these things have to be observed if You want to make a really good salad.
My favourite mix of tomatoes and feta cheese is a good example here : if the tomato is diced too small, it will secret an excess of juice that risks to drown the cheese. If the cheese is diced too small, the heavy bits will fall to the bottom and You will be eating the salad in layers. If all ingredients are chopped too big, you will end up eating every ingredient separately and the tastes won't connect.

Taste harmony is what a good salad is all about ; I have seen people mix green peas with smoked salmon because they've had pineapple and chicken salad before. Too much thinking on the lines of "something from a can + bits of animal + sauce" is the reason for my somewhat strict attitude towards salads. But so would be Yours, had You been unlucky enough to be around and forced to eat those monstrosities.
This particular salad is as simple as can be, but it is quite nutritious. If You are on a diet, or just don't feel like having a whole, two-course dinner, You might want to try this recipe as Your main meal.

Ingredients:

• Fresh spinach leaves - as many as you like
• Tomatoes - two per person, unless they're very big
• Feta cheese - 50 g. per person will be enough
• Pesto - a teaspoon (alternatively a spoon of olive oil and some basil leaves)

Preparation:

Wash the spinach leaves and remove the stems if you want to. (It's not necessary) Dice both tomatoes and the cheese into bits about 1 cm across. This will allow them to mix nicely while still keeping them firm and giving You something to bite into. Put them in a bowl and add the seasoning. If You are using pesto, don't add anything else. The tomatoes will have leaked some juice by now which will allow the pesto to spread nicely. If You are seasoning with olive and spices, a drop of vinegar will make it more pronounced.

This particular salad is best served as a meal of its own, accompanied by a piece of bread to soak up the sauce. If You are intent on matching it with a 'real' meal, the best bet would be something equally Mediterranean. White wine is recommended, as red would overwhelm the taste.