I've found the important thing for keeping salads is to keep as much air out as possible. Plastic bags or a vacuum sealer work best. If possible even keep ingredients separate. Once a dressing goes on the time really starts ticking.

Sorry I don't have any recipes for light salads to share but I'd be interested in the Russian salad if you'd post it.

Yes, even a green salad will keep pretty well if you keep it dry. I find if you put it in a big tupperware container, put a paper towel or kitchen towel over the top and store it in the fridge upside-down it does very well. Probably good to keep very wet ingredients out (i.e. use cherry tomatoes instead of cut)

I spent a summer studying in the Soviet Union in 1976 - an amazing experience. I spent part of the time in Krasnodar in the south by the Black Sea (I think it's called Ekaterinodar since the change. The region is agricultural and I had some of the best produce I've ever eaten there. I still remember the apricots 32 years later.)

I was invited to dine at the home of some local new friends and they served this super simple salad:

Russian Salad

Cucumbers, peeled, diced
Tomatoes, diced
Scallions, chopped
Salt & pepper

That's it. Make it ahead of time. The salt draws liquid out of the veggies and makes its own dressing.

Wow, that is simple. Thanks!

It just hit me, I have a potluck picnic coming up next week and this would be something different and refreshing. Also easy enough to make up at the motel. Could you give me some idea of proportions you use and how heavy you go on the seasoning please? Also how long do you let it sit before serving? I'm looking for maybe 10-12 servings.

Also here's a couple recipes I copied from elsewhere that sounded good to me. I would think they should last fairly well.

Posted by kayskats (My Page) on Tue, May 13, 08 at 19:59
I came up with this years (and years and years) ago ... it disappears at cookouts:
Waldorf Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage shredded*
1 tart apple diced, preferably red with peel
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecan pieces
8 ounces poppy seed dressing (1/2 jar from grocer's refrigerated section--Marie's is the brand I use.

Mix all ingredients. Toss with dressing and chill at least one hour.
Note: I sometimes use one bag of cole slaw mix from the salad shelf at grocery store.

And another one that sounded good:

Bacon Cauliflower Salad
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 red onion, sliced
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large, clear glass bowl, add the iceberg lettuce. Top with the califlower and then the red onion. Add crumbled bacon to the top. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and Parmesan cheese into the mayonnaise. Just before serving, toss salad with mayonnaise mixture. Serve immediately.

Another super popular potluck dish that I make regularly is the spinach dip on the back of the box of Knorr's dry vegetable soup mix. It's a cold dip and I serve it in a hollowed out bread bowl made from a loaf of King's Hawaiian bread. I serve it with cut-up pieces of Hawaiian bread and carrots and celery sticks. Everyone loves it.