The Seven Days of Christmas - Day Two

The greenery perks up the dinner and prepares us for the zesty flavors of the main event. For me, salads must be interesting, fresh and vibrant. Here are two options, or go for a third option and use them both!

One jar of pickled beets and a few simple ingredients

This is a favorite, my Pickled Beets, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad. A little goes a long way, so I recommend that you use it almost as a condiment on the dinner plate or just before. served on a small bowl or salad plate. Is it a salad? Is it a condiment? Yes, it is. It is both. You decide how to use it. For the recipe, click here. Have everything ready. Dressing ingredients in a jar, goat cheese crumbled in a small bowl, everything else in the serving bowl. An hour before your guests arrive, toss everything except the cheese with the dressing. Just prior to serving, top with the goat cheese. So easy!

Radicchio and Lettuce Salad is incredibly easy, giving you the freedom to go wild with creativity. This salad can sit, fully assembled, for two hours. Just before serving time, toss, taste, amend with more salt or pepper and you're set!

In a large serving dish, combine the following. Quantities are to your taste.

• Mixed lettuce (bib, red oak leaf, red gem, green oak leaf, red tango). Wash and spin-dry.
• Radicchio and Belgian endive (one or both)
• Shaved or chopped red onion.
• Shaved fennel bulb. Include some of the fronds if you have them.
• Blue cheese cut into asymmetrical chunks.
• White wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.