Denise Reid, Gleaner writer

Take your salad up a few notches with jerked shrimp, otaheite apples, papayas, mangoes, cucumbers, avocados and a host of other vegetables. This salad was presented in a pineapple half from which the fruit was removed. - photos by Denise Reid photo

A fresh, hearty salad may be the way to go this summer. Not only are salads easy to prepare, but they are also a healthy choice and can be absolutely delicious.

Executive chef Norma Shirley opened eyes and minds to salad bowls of opportunities during her class at the 9th annual Epicurean Escape held at Grand Lido Negril.

"(Salads) are what people should be having, mixed with a little cheese or grilled chicken (instead of) all this hot cooking, pot bubbling like Macbeth," said Shirley, utilising a little dry humour to get her point across.

As Shirley gave tips on the making of salads, the theme of this year's Epicurean Escape, 'Flavours of the Caribbean', was illustrated with the lovely and vibrant fruits and vegetables which make our islands so unique.

Shirley explained that fruits such as mangoes, rose apples, otaheite apples and papayas, can be added to salads to enhance taste and add variety.

Presentation is everything

She notes that the fruits and vegetables could be cut/shredded and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This makes it is easy to have a salad in no time.

In a culture such as ours, which does not see many people eating vegetables, Shirley explained that presentation is everything. Thus, she encouraged patrons to invest in tools such as German peelers, which, when used to shred vegetables, gives them a lovely finish and enable individuals to get really creative.