Chicken salad with roasted beets and dandelion greens

SERVES 4 TO 6 | 1½ HOURS

Dandelion greens give a bright, appealingly bitter edge to the rich chicken and the sweet beets.

3 lbs. baby to full-grown beets, without tops but with root and stem ends intact (you need 4 lbs. with tops)

1 tbsp. plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

About ¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided

1 cup walnut pieces

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

Zest of 2 lemons

3 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. chopped shallot

½ tsp. pepper

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

½ qts. loosely packed tender dandelion green tops or arugula

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub beets, pat dry, and put on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp. oil and l/2 tsp. salt. Bake until tender when pierced, 50 minutes. Roast nuts on another sheet, stirring often, until deep golden, 6 minutes.

2. Let beets cool. Meanwhile, toast cumin in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until a shade darker, 2 minutes. "· Coarsely grind in a mortar or coffee grinder. Pour into a large bowl and whisk with remaining l/2 cup oil, 3A tsp. salt, the lemon zest and juice, shallot, and pepper.

3. Trim beets and rub with a paper towel to remove peels. Cut into wedges, putting dark ones in a medium bowl and lighter ones in another medium bowl.

4. Toss chicken with light beets and enough dressing to coat. Toss dark beets with some dressing. In large bowl, toss greens and nuts with remaining dressing, then gently combine with chicken mixture. Arrange on a platter and tuck in dark beets. Season with more salt to taste if you like.

PER SERVING 577 CAL-, 61% (353 CAL.) FROM FAT; 29 G PROTEIN; 40 G FAT (5.8 G SAT.); 32 G CARBO (10 G FIBER); eoo MG SODIUM; 62 MG CHOL. >ß

Beets

For the prettiest salad, go for a mix of colors such as red-and-whiteringedChioggia, golden Yellow Detroit, and reddish purple Bull's Blood.

Dandelion greens

Though wild greens are perfectly edible, cultivated varieties likeCichonum intybus are less bitter.

Sesame Chinese chicken salad with Asian greens

SERVES 4 OR 5 | 50 MINUTES

¼ cup sesame seeds

2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil

10 won ton wrappers (3Vz in. square), each cut into 4 triangles

1 qt. each loosely packed baby or bite-size pieces mizuna (or mixed baby greens) and mustard greens

¼ lb. (about 2) baby bok choy, ends trimmed, thinly sliced crosswise on a diagonal

1 cup English cucumber matchsticks (from about ¼ cucumber)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro sprigs

2 large green onions, cut into 3-in. slivers

6 tbsp. rice vinegar

3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

½ tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Asian chili oil

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1. Toast sesame seeds in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Heat peanut oil in same pan, then add a single layer of won ton wrappers at a time and cook, turning once, until golden, G/2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Combine mizuna, mustard greens, bok choy, cucumber, cilantro, and green onions in a second large bowl.

3. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and chili oil to sesame seeds in bowl and whisk to blend. Spoon about one-third of dressing over greens and toss to coat. Add chicken to remaining dressing in bowl and toss to coat. Gently toss ingrethents from both bowls together, then toss one more time with won ton triangles.

PER SERVING 429 CAL., 55% (235 CAL) FROM FAT; 30 G PROTEIN; 26 6 FAT (4.7 G SAT.); 19 G CARBO (3.3 G FIBER); 539 MG SODIUM; 76 MG CHOL.

Mizuna

This crisp, frilly leaf tastes like across between napa cabbage and mustard greens. As they get larger, the leaves develop more bite.

Mustard greens

Use the regular curly green kind or fiat-leaf varieties like handsome Red Giant. Small leaves taste the mildest.

Rainbow carrot, pea shoot, and chicken salad

SERVES 6 | 1¼ HOURS

SLicing the carrots is fastest on a cLassic French~ or Japanese-styLe mandoLine, but you can aLso use a vegetabLe peeler.

1½ lbs. rainbow carrots (preferably a mix of long and short ones)

4 oz. pea shoots*

2 cups sugar snap peas

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Meyer Lemon juice

1 large garlic clove, minced

About ½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 cup crumbled sheep's- or goat's-milk feta cheese

¾ cup mint Leaves, cut into slivers

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1. Scrub carrots gently (so you don'tlose the bright outer color), using a brush under running water. With a mandoline or vegetable peeier, cut thin lengthwise ribbons to make 1 qt; discard ends and tough cores.

2. Put dark and light carrot ribbons in separate bowls of ice water and soak about 15 minutes to crisp. Drain, roll in kitchen towels, and pat dry.

3. Discard tough or thick stems from pea shoots and tear sprigs into 4- to 5-in. pieces. Pull strings from straight sides of snap peas, then thinly slice peas lengthwise. In a large bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, garlic, Vz tsp. salt, and the pepper.

4. Add carrots, pea shoots, snap peas, feta, mint, and chicken to bowl and toss gently. Season with more salt if you like.

*Find at farmers' markets and Asian markets.

PER SERVING 395 CAL., BlU (202 CAL.) FROM FAT; 28 G PROTEIN; 23 G FAT (7 G SAT.); 22 G CARBO (4.6 G FIBER); 542 MG SODIUM; 85 MG CHOL. >90

Rainbow carrots

Each color is a different variety, but I they're often sold (and grown) as a mixture. Colors are brightest when they're raw.

Pea shoots

Why use just the peas? The leaves and tendrils of shelling, sugar snap, and snow pea plants are sweet and add a springy crunch to salads.

New potato and chickeh salad with yogurt chive dressing

SERVES 4 OR 5 | 35 MINUTES

I1A lbs. smalt red thin-skinned potatoes, scrubbed

3 cups loosely packed small lettuce (eaves (3 to 4 in. long)

1 cup each loosely packed chervil sprigs and small, tender flat-leaf parsley sprigs

½ cup each fresh marjoram leaves and tarragon leaves

3 cups sliced and small pieces cooked chicken

1 1/3 cups plain whole milk yogurt

½ cup chopped chives

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

About ½ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper

1. Put potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover. Cover pan and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then rinse occasionally with cold water until room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, put lettuce, chervil, parsley, marjoram, and tarragon in a large bowl t and chicken in a second large bowl, p In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, chives, oil, and lk tsp. each salt and pepper.

3. Slice potatoes crosswise, add to chicken, and toss with about % cup _ dressing. Toss greens and arrange on plates. Spoon chicken mixture on top. Grind pepper generously over each serving. Serve with remaining dressing and more salt to add to taste.

PER SERVING 376 CAL., 4OX (lSl CAL.} FROM FAT; 316 PROTEIN; 17 6 FAT (4.3 6 SAT.); 26 G CARBO (3.9 G FIBER); 276 MG SODIUM; 83 MG CHOL.

Herbs

Use tender herbs like chervil, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh tarragon leaves by the handful in salads, as you would lettuce.

New potatoes

Waxy varieties such as Reddalework best for salads; justharvested ones taste the sweetest.

GROW YOUR OWN: suruet.com/plantfinder