Variety is the spice of life with 11 salad
choices. Photo courtesy Dole.com.

The three we had were absolutely delicious.

Here’s the skinny: Normally we avoid bagged salads. It takes us just minutes to tear up our own lettuce, carrots, radishes and whatever. And we don’t buy bottled dressing—making vinaigrettes is a snap. Why pay a premium for what we can make quickly for a fraction of the cost?

Because the three complete Dole Salad Kit choices we tried—Asian Island Crunch, Autumn Splendor and Southwest salads—were as good as any restaurant salad. They were a treat. And they were ready to eat within 90 seconds of opening the bag.

Dole Salad Kits saved us from making far less healthy lunch choices, and served as a really satisfying snack when the brownies beckoned.

The salads are perfectly appointed: Each bag has a packet of excellent dressing and a packet of mix-ins.

• In the case of Asian Island Crunch, it was sliced almonds, dried pineapple, Chinese noodles and snow peas with sesame ginger dressing.
• For Perfect Harvest it was dried cranberries and sliced almonds with an apple cider Dijon vinaigrette.
• For Southwest Salad it was tortilla strips, Cheddar cheese and sour cream with a spicy ranch dressing.

The base for the salads varies according to the theme, but can include a mixture of romaine, iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce, red leaf lettuce, radicchio, red and white cabbage, carrots and radishes. The mix-ins range from dried fruits and nuts to cheese to croutons and other crunchies (like the tortilla strips).

The salad kit varieties we tried provided a very fast and very good salad lunch or dinner. You can add proteins—leftover chicken or beef, for example, or grilled tofu.

Instead of using a conventional ice bucket or Rapid Ice to keep bottles chilled at the table, you can earn oohs and aahs with a cooler made of molded ice.

Ice coolers can be used plain (just pour water in the mold and freeze). But part of the fun is creating your own custom design. Add fruits, flowers, leaves, holiday ornaments or other thematic decor.

The ice cooler can be used to keep vodka, mineral water and other beverages cold.

• Check out the Exaco Ice Chiller. It comes gift-boxed for your favorite party hosts.

Create elegant ice coolers for special
events. Photo courtesy Exaco.

With matcha tea, it is easy being green (photo © l’’Âge de Thé)

Matcha is a powder of finely ground green tea leaves. It has a vibrant green color due to the high concentration of chlorophyll and contains ten times as many antioxidants as regular green tea. Matcha is the tea used in the acclaimed Japanese tea ceremony, cha no yu.

Matcha powder is not steeped the way tea leaves are, but is whisked into a froth. Some think the beverage resembles warm tea ice cream.

Matcha is also used to flavor other foods, from smoothies and baked goods (cupcakes, tea cakes) to pots de creme.

• Get the recipe for green tea latte.
• Find out more about tea in our Gourmet Tea Section.

Using thin-sliced whole wheat bread, build your favorite sandwich. Center the ingredients away from the edges so that you don’t waste much when cutting the shape. Then use jumbo cookie cutters—flowers, hearts, gingerbread men, stars or any theme—to cut out sandwiches.

If you’re using salad fillings (egg, tuna, etc.), cut the bread and lettuce first, then add the fillings—or else they’ll squirt out when the sandwich is cut.

For an added touch, garnish the top of the sandwich with a pickle slice or other pickled vegetable (we love the pickled smoked okra from Rick’s Picks), or an olive.

Serve a ham sandwich that looks like a hog
with this pig cookie cutter. Photo courtesy
Old River Road.

You can print out or email a cheese gift
certificate at any time on Father’s Day.
Photo courtesy ArtisanalCheese.com.

Here’s a great solution from Artisanal Cheese, one of the country’s finest cheese purveyors:

A gift certificate!

All you have to do is print it out online and hand it to Dad (BYO envelope, gift box or a ribbon to tie a “scroll”).

Artisanal’s Cheese Gift Certificates can be used towards the purchase of cheese, a cheese gift basket, cheese accessories (books, cutting boards and knives, for example) and Artisanal’s superb cheesecake.

• Get your gift certificate (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to print out—or select the email option).
• Find cheese reviews, recipes and an entire wheel of cheese education in THE NIBBLE’s Gourmet Cheese Section.