Exploring Kitchen Equipment

If you are looking to mix up your menu this spring, you should start with your salad section. The start of spring means the start of lots of local, fresh produce. Take advantage of all the local, affordable fresh produce in your area and offer your customers some new, tasty spring salads. Here are just a few recipe ideas to get you started.

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

This is a classic spring salad that you should have on your menu. All you need to make a strawberry and spinach salad is some thinly sliced red onions, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and some blue cheese. Sliced and toasted almonds on top is a great way to complete this salad.

You can serve this salad with a red wine vinaigrette, or you can create your own unique salad dressing. The key is to create a light salad dressing that does not overwhelm the other ingredients.

Avocado Fruit Salad

This is one of those salads that looks best when it is prepared in a glass bowl or goblet. You need the depth of a bowl or goblet in order to create the layers, and the glass allows your customers to see all the work you put into creating this salad.

You will need to toss the following ingredients together, then chill them for at least an hour:

• Sliced oranges
• Sliced grapefruit
• Cubed cantaloupe
• Sliced peaches
• Sliced watermelon
• Avocado chunks
• Lime juice

After the ingredients have chilled, scoop them into a bowl or goblet. Sprinkle some chopped mint on top, and add a dollop of sour cream with some crushed pistachios to finish this dish off.

This unique dish takes advantage of all the fruits of spring. You can sub in different types of fruit as well. It doesn't need a dressing; the ingredients will do all the talking for you.

Shrimp Artichoke Salad

If you are looking for something that creates its own serving bowl, you should try out this salad in your restaurant.

First you will need to peel and devein the shrimp. 

Then you will need to whisk together some mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped parsley, thinly sliced green onions, grated lemon rind, hot sauce and Creole seasoning. Once it is mixed together well, and in the artichoke hearts and shrimp.

You can serve this salad inside of an artichoke, on a plate with some fresh lemons as well as some asparagus to turn this into a main salad entrée.

Surprise your customers with a few new salad selections this spring that take advantage of the local produce available in your area. Try out one of the recipes above, or create your own unique spring salad recipe to add to your restaurant's menu.