Sue, you're right. Coleslaw isn't much of a vegetable, and unless you have a heavy hand with broccoli, the potato and macaroni salads are more about starch. How about a bean salad? That's really easy and pretty. Steam up some green beans, haricots verts and wax beans, for variety, and mix them with garbanzos or cannelinis, or, if you like them, red kidney beans. (I don't care for kidney beans in bean salad.) You can do a vinegar/pickle style dressing, but it's also good with red wine vinegar, pink peppercorns and herbs.

My first thought when I read your title was steamed vegetable salad. It's a lot more bother, but beautiful and nutritious. Make it a day or two early. That's little baby carrots, pearl onions, baby lima beans (from the freezer section), baby patti pan squash if you can get it or patti pan wedges, cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, sliced hearts of palm and shoepeg corn. Add or remove whatever you like--cut up haricots verts, for instance--but not broccoli (the texture ruins the salad). Steam anything not frozen or canned to just barely soft since they'll soften more sitting in the dressing, but do get them past the crunch stage. This also wants an acidic dressing: we use 2 parts Italian to 1 part tasty vinegar, plus 1 tsp. Japanese sesame oil. If you like a heavier dressing you could just use an herb vinaigrette straight, or make the vinaigrette heavy on the vinegar.

Happy anniversary! All the best for a lovely celebration.

JC

My family likes Woodie's 7 layer salad, the ubiquitous broccoli/cauliflower/raisin salad and Mustangs' fig and parmesan salad made with spinach instead of arugula. I think any of them would be good.

Happy Anniversary!

Annie

Happy Anniversary, Shambo! Your menu sounds great, but I do agree you may want another veggie, something with some "crunch".

This salad is really good, keeps well and is a colorful addition.

Jicama Salad Recipe
From Simply Recipes blog

1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped
1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup lime juice
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of paprika
Salt

Optional:
1/2 avocado chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil

Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large serving bowl. Pour lime juice over all. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Season generously with salt.

Let sit a half an hour before serving.
Serves 4.

Linda

Thanks for your ideas. I was already thinking about some of the salads you've all suggested: three bean salad, the 7 layer, and the broccoli/raisin/bacon. I was even considering a version of Texas caviar that uses black-eyed peas & corn.

After reading Linda's recipe, I think jicima would be a good addition to just about anything. It's crunchy, mild, and sometimes a tad bit juicy. A nice contrast.

Any additional ideas will be appreciated.

A really nice tomato salad. Here, there are still some really good tomatoes about with spring onions, feta cheese, cucumber, olives....

I made this for some family members and they took bread to sop up what was left of the dressing! I used bacon instead of pancetta because that's what I had. You can even leave that out or use a cured beef/smoked turkey.

It's delicious! The color goes off if you refrigerate overnight. Would be fine made in the morning and served later that day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ina Garten snap peas, pancetta, parmesan

I make a raw broccoli/cauliflower salad that is always a huge hit. Besides the broccoli and cauliflower it's got red onions, shredded carrots, bacon and cheddar cheese. The dressing is sort of a sweet/sour thing. Perfect for a bbq meal. I can look up the recipe when I get home if you're interested.

I make the same salad as Islay, but mine is more cucumber than tomato, and I add oregano instead of olives, although I will have to try it with olives.

You could make some refrigerator pickles several days ahead. I made a batch using no sugar, and they were very good and were sweet enough because of the onions I used, but I did not make enough of them. The method should be on the thread about pickle juice. You can add jicama to the pickle mix also. I do recommend not adding any sugar to the pickles.

Lars

Thanks again. I've gone from no ideas to too many ideas! That's a much better problem to have.

Islay, along with the things I mentioned above, I was thinking about the traditional Israeli salad or Greek salad. There are definitely some good tomatoes still around in my neck of the woods. Alex, that snap pea salad sounds great. Believe it or not, I was thinking of snap peas but for a dip not an actual salad. I know I'd devour the recipe you linked to. DC, I'd like to look at your salad recipe. The addition of carrots sounds interesting.

Thanks again for your help. I've got time to mull this over and decide which would appeal to the most guests. It'll be fun!

shambo...here's my recipe...I think it tastes even better the 2nd day so I frequently make it a day ahead.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

1 large head broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 lb bacon, cook crisp, crumbled
2 carrots, shredded

Mix all above ingredients together.

Dressing:

1 cup mayo
2 Tbs vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine dressing ingredients together, pour over salad, mix together and marinate for at least 3 hours.

One of our favorites is what I call Plan B salad. Broccoli cut into bite size pieces, cherry or grape tomatoes, halved and your favorite Italian salad dressing poured over all. It can be made ahead. No measurements although a package of broccoli and a package of cherry tomatoes are about right for a small bottle of salad dressing. Salt and pepper to taste as well.

Martha

Whatever you do, I would avoid mayonnaise and cheese as those are already well covered in the menu as is fruit.

I think a chopped vegetable salad with the lightest of vinaigrette dressings would be good. Tomatoes, red onion, broccoli, peas, carrots, asparagus, colored peppers, that sort of thing. Maybe some toasted garbanzos, some fresh herbs...no cheese.
Not an official recipe, just use what is freshest at the store and chop everything small and similarly shaped.

Hmmm....wilted cucumber, carrot and raisin, lentil salad, tomato and cuke salad with chives....I'm getting hungry!

Just a crudite platter with dip would be good.