Summer Salads

Sure, summer comes along, and salads come to mind. Yet, I am talking more about protein-based concoctions, which are a kitchen staple amidst hot weather and ever-changing schedules. We, namely Aki, have made more egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad than we care to divulge. And still, I am. These salads, in their many variations, have proven to be both tantalizing and inspiring. Ham salad, an inspiration from the days of deviled ham, has made the largest comeback since (fill in the blank). It started off all nice and innocent with pickles and mayo, a dash of mustard, and it was done. Recently, Aki made a ham salad that was truly mind-blowing. Perhaps I was starving when I tried it first, though I still eat it even if I am full. The secret is the addition of Piquillo peppers. In fact, the ham salad was so good we transformed it from a kitchen staple to a star in its own right in the shape of ham salad ravioli. Our first run at making the dish with the ravioli was quite tasty, though as we look closer at the salad and how we can tweak it into a dish, I foresee truly great results. For now, I am settling with truly tasty. As far as the other salads, we have made tuna with tapenade, egg salad with truffle oil and Japanese mayo, and smoked chicken salads. While these others have not veered far from their original purpose (providing delicious sustenance), they have all proved exciting and noteworthy.