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Forty years ago Carl Sontheimer introduced a kitchen workhorse to America that changed how cooks cooked: the Cuisinart food processor.
Known in European commercial kitchens as the Robot Coupe/Magimix, the food processor was embraced by master chef Julia Child and culinary authority James Beard because it could chop, grind, purée, slice, grate, shred, knead, mix and blend, saving the cook time and effort in performing repetitive cooking tasks.
Silky-smooth pâtés were produced with ease, a mountain of onions sliced or chopped in seconds, firm cheeses grated in less than a minute, a can of peanuts turned into peanut butter in four minutes, meat could be ground up for burgers or sausage, and bread mixed and kneaded in a matter of minutes.
The food processor became the "must-have" kitchen tool. Recipes once left to professionals because they required specialized equipment could easily be replicated with a food processor. Many cookbooks were published that explained the hows and whys of this valuable kitchen tool.
Wonderful recipes made their way onto the tables of America as a result of the food processor. One of them is this Eleven-Layer Salad, for which the food processor was used to slice, grate and chop the ingredients, which were layered in a glass bowl. Based on a recipe by Abby Mandel in the "Cuisinart Classroom" cookbook, the concept of layered salads was very popular at the time.
Layered salads are fun to make, relying on lots of fresh ingredients you can get at island farmers markets. And you can improvise with ingredients you might have in your refrigerator.
The key to making this salad easily is to use your food processor wisely: slicing, grating and chopping each item and placing each item on a large plate or baking sheet.
Slice the red pepper, olives, green beans, radishes and onion using the slicing disc. Then grate the carrots and cheese with the grating disc and mince the parsley and chop the eggs with the steel blade.
Remove each item from the work bowl, wiping out the work bowl between each item and washing it only when necessary.
Once all your ingredients are processed, layer them into a straight-sided glass bowl.
Other ingredients can be substituted or added: won bok or spinach in place of iceberg lettuce, Kalamata olives in place of regular black olives, peas in place of green beans, blue cheese in place of cheddar cheese, diced chicken or turkey in place of bacon. Also, consider additional ingredients such as cooked diced potato, corn kernels, sliced cucumber, sliced green onion and cooked navy or cannellini beans.
The mayonnaise-based dressing is perfect for this salad but can be replaced with your favorite salad dressing.
Use two large spoons for serving, digging deep into the bowl to extract bits of each layer.
This salad is not only visually appealing and nutritious, but it also can be made ahead of time. It’s a one-bowl dish perfect for summer picnics and backyard barbecues.
Of course, if you don’t have a food processor, then a good sharp knife, cutting board and grater can be employed for the same result. But oh, how simply the food processor can do the job!
ELEVEN-LAYER SALAD
8 ounces iceberg lettuce, finely sliced 1/2 cup finely minced parsley 4 large eggs, hard cooked, chopped 1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced 2 carrots, grated 1 cup pitted black olives, sliced 3/4 pound green beans, blanched and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 1 cup thinly sliced radishes 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
» Dressing: 2 cups mayonnaise 1/2 cup minced parsley 1/2 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill Salt and pepper
Layer each ingredient in a straight-sided glass bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients and layer at top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 530 calories, 41 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,100 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 18 g protein
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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DENNIS ODA