I would decide what kinds of salad I wanted and how many total and if you can keep them cold during serving time.
Here's a start.
Alaska cole slaw
5 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cups almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper
Combine cabbage, almonds, cranberries, celery, green onions, and green pepper in a large plastic bowl with a snap-on lid.
Combine all dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressing over slaw just before serving. Stir well

As far as lettuce or spinach salads the possibilities are endless but here are some other great Summer salads:

Fresh Green Bean Salad
This is one of our favorites.
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2 ears of fresh sweet corn (2 cups)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 small red onion or Vidalia, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic; finely minced and mashed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-light olive oil (or canola oil)
1 pint grape tomatoes; cut in half
a hand-full of fresh basil leaves (optional)

Sprinkle corn with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast corn in a 425 oven for 10 to 15 minutes until just tender. Remove corn to rack to cool then cut corn from cob. (Or cook shucked ears directly on a grill, turning often to cook evenly.)
*If you use frozen corn in this, rinse with cold water to thaw and do not cook it.

Cut onion in half and thinly slice. Place in a bowl of ice water to crisp up and mellow the flavor. No need to do this if using Vidalia onion.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of liberally salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and stir, leave the beans in the water exactly 3 minutes, no longer; drain and remove to ice water to stop cooking. Place beans on paper towels to dry completely.

Make the dressing by placing garlic in a bowl along with vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in olive oil until well combined. When ready to serve, Combine corn, beans, well drained onion slices, tomatoes and optional basil; toss with salt and pepper and stir in dressing. Serve right away. Store dressing and salad separately.

Inspired by recipe from Fine Cooking magazine.

Marilyn

Fresh Tomato Salad

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Place in a bowl:

4 cups fresh, sweet tomatoes cut into bite size chunks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, stir and set aside for 10 minutes.
Drain all liquid off tomatoes and add:

1/2 small Vidalia or red onion; large dice
1 sweet yellow bell pepper; large dice
Hand full of fresh basil or mint leaves; torn or chopped

Combine and add:

1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir in:
1/2 cup Kalamata or black olives cut in half
1 or 2 teaspoon of capers
Feta or Goat cheese (optional)

Marilyn

Summer Watermelon Salad

6 cups watermelon, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 large red onion; thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
several grinds freshly ground black pepper
a sprinkle of salt
Handful of fresh mint leaves

Cut watermelon and slice onion. Place vinegar in a large bowl and slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly until smooth and combined. Whisk in pepper and salt, gently stir in watermelon and onion. Chop mint leaves and stir in. Serve immediately.

*Recipe inspired by a recipe from Paula Deen

Marilyn

Thousand Island Dressing
*Use this as a dressing for Cole Slaw
or Broccoli Slaw; broccoli, carrots, cabbage

1 cup HellmannÂs mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons finely minced sweet onion
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
a few grinds of fresh ground pepper
1 hard-boiled egg; finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and serve over ice burg lettuce salad. Refrigerate. Will only keep as long as expiration date of eggs or do not stir eggs into dressing, sprinkle on top of salad instead.

Marilyn

Black Beans and Roasted Corn Salad

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3 ears of fresh corn
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 of lime
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon each ground cumin & chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove; finely minced
1 (15 oz.) can BushÂs black beans; rinse & drain
1/2 cup minced onion (Vidalia or Red)
1 cup diced, seeded tomato (3 Roma)
1 sweet bell pepper; diced
1 avocado; diced (optional)

Roast or grill corn until tender crisp; remove from ears and cool completely. In a medium bowl, whisk olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, cilantro and garlic. Add beans to dressing along with corn, onion, tomato and bell pepper; toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Eat freshly made or the next day.

If desired, kick it up more by adding one jalapeno pepper; seeded and diced.

*To roast corn, remove from husk, wash and dry well and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet in a 425° oven for about 20 minutes. Turn after half the cooking time.

**To grill corn, remove from husk and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a rack over hot coals until corn is tender-crisp and some of the kernels are blackened

Marilyn

Bell Pepper Salad

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1 each red, yellow and orange bell pepper
1 small fresh onion; thinly sliced
10 grape tomatoes; sliced
2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Dressing (below)
hand full fresh parsley; chopped
kosher salt to taste

Seed and thinly slice peppers. Combine ingredients in a pretty bowl. Great with Feta cheese:

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Fresh Herb Dressing

1/2 cup extra-light olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
fresh basil; chopped
fresh oregano; chopped
fresh chive; chopped (or garlic)

Combine ingredients in glass jar and shake well.

Marilyn

Cornbread Salad (An interesting, pleasant surprise that is great for family gatherings!)

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1 (8oz.) pkg. cornbread mix (Jiffy)
1 (4oz.) can green chilies, undrained
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drain & rinse
2 ears of corn, roasted or sautéed (or 1 can)
3 medium tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced + 1 for garnish
8 strips bacon, cooked, drained & crumbled
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Prepare cornbread batter according to package and stir in chilies, cumin and oregano. Bake as instructed, cool completely. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, onion, salt, pepper dill and parsley; set aside. In a large serving dish, break up half of cornbread and add a layer of half each of beans, mayonnaise mixture, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, bacon, cheese. Repeat layers, garnish with sliced green onion. Cover and refrigerate overnight

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Marilyn

How many people & what else are you serving?

Also, when is the reception?

wonderful recipes, Thank You
It's for a supper hour meal. I'm serving 150 people and we are also serving.
pork skewers, chicken skewers, baked potatos, buns,the rest is going to be a large variety of salads.
Does anyone have a good wild rice salad recipe?
Thanks again Gwen

I have a great strawberry spinache salad ill post it if youd like

MUSHROOM AND FENNEL SALAD serves 30

5 lbs. large mushrooms, sliced
5 cups fennel, cut into julienne strips
10 red bell peppers, diced
Fresh chopped parsley
2 cups less 2 Tbs. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup plus 1 ½ Tbs. red wine vinegar
5 tsp. fennel seeds
5 bay leaves, crushed (discard center rib)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine mushroom, fennel, red pepper in large bowl or bowls. In separate bowl, whisk oil, garlic and vinegar. Whisk in fennel seeds, bay leaves and seasonings. Pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight, if desired, but at least 4 hours. To serve, stir and pour off excess dressing. Sprinkle top with parsley.

The site in the link below should help with quantities.
WILD RICE SALAD (serves 10)
One 7 or 8 oz pkg wild rice
6 stalks celery, chopped
2 large green bell pepeprs, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2-4 TBL fresh lemon juice
Garlic salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 bottle creamy Italian dressing

Cook the wild rice following pkg directions; drian & cool. Combine the chopped vegetables with the wild rice in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients using just enough dressing to bind the inredients. Refrigerate overnight. Adjust seasonings to taste before serving.~~Austin Entertains

Here are some of my favorites -

WEED'S CRUNCHY PEA SALAD
Ingredients, most to least:
Peas
Celery, small dice
Chopped water chestnuts
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Chopped green onion
Lightly toasted pine nuts
Salt, pepper

FENNEL, MUSHROOM & PARMESAN SALAD

Posted by: MQmoi (My Page) on Tue, Nov 12, 02 at 11:54
I made Alice Waters' (Chez Panisse) simple recipe for Shaved Fennel, Mushroom, and Parmesan Salad. I ate almost the entire salad. Only difference is I sauteed the mushrooms as I don't like them raw. Basically, the recipe/method is:

Fennel
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
S & P
Sliced Mushrooms
Parmesan shavings

1. Cut off the feathery tops of the fennel at the base of their stalks and remove the outer layer of the bulbs. Slice the bulbs very thin with a mandolin or a very sharp knife.
2. Assemble the salad in layers on a large platter or on individual salad plates.
3. First make a layer of the fennel slices. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over the fennel and drizzle with fruity olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Then make a layer of the mushrooms, also slice very thin. Squeeze more lemon juice over them, drizzle evenly with olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Grate or cut thin shavings of the Parmesan with cheese
slicer or a vegetable peeler and arrange them on top of the salad.
Drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

(Note from Woodie - I don't saute the mushrooms like MQ did, I like them raw. If you have any leftover the next day, its still great! This salad looks beautiful on a large platter.)

WALDORF SLAW
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
1 (16-ounce) bag 3-color slaw mix
2 large Granny Smith apples, diced small
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup poppy seed dressing

In a large bowl combine slaw mix, diced apples, and chopped walnuts; set aside.
In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise and poppy seed dressing. Pour dressing over slaw mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

BLACK EYED PEA AND HAM SALAD (20 servings)

1 1/2 lbs. black-eyes peas
2 medium onions, peeled
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 3/4 lbs. smoked ham, cut into ¼" cubes
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Oil and vinegar dressing (below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups diced seeded tomatoes

Soak peas over night or by quick-soak method; drain. Place peas, onions, carrots and garlic in a 6-qt. pot. Add water to cover by at least 2 inches and bring to boil. Lower heat immediately and simmer until peas are tender but not mushy, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove vegetables and set aside. Drain peas, discarding any visible shells.
Cut onions and carrots into fine dice. Mash or finely chop garlic. Mix these ingredients with the drained peas. Add the ham, parsley, hot pepper sauce and dressing and season with salt & pepper. Stir gently to distribute dressing. Refrigerate until well chilled, overnight if desired. When ready to serve, gently stir in diced tomatoes.

OIL AND VINEGAR DRESSING

1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. whole-grain prepared mustard
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together with whisk and let garlic marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove garlic and pour over salad.

LAURIE'S PEA SALAD
Posted by: Laurie_SJC (My Page) on Mon, Jan 2, 06 at 12:36
Here's another pea salad that is delicious. Tried it on 'the family' at Christmas and it was a hit.

Mix the night before:

1 Teas. curry (more if you love curry)
1/3 cup mayo
1 package frozen petite peas
6 oz. smokehouse almonds
1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)
3 green onions sliced
1 cup celery - sliced

Mix all of the above together, add the mayo/curry and serve.

ROCOCOGURL'S CHUTNEY COLE SLAW
1/2 a small head of savoy cabbage (no dark green leaves - pale only), shredded
1 small red bell pepper, cut in julienne
6 medium sliced scallions
1/2 small head of radicchio rosso

For the dressing
About 2 tbsp rice vinegar
About 1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 jar of Major Gray's mango chutney
About 2 tbsp Stonewall bourbon molasses mustard
1/3 -1/2 cup salad oil
3 tbsp olive oil
I mixed it all together and let it refrigerate for an hour or so. It was tangy, sweet/sour and quite different.

scaned these salads they all look good
thought that I'd tell you that the Alaskian cole slaw is so good sence I went through so fast wasn't sure if this was in it it also is yummy
Spinach and Strawberry Salad

2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 C. sliced strawberries
½ C. oil
¼ C. white wine vinegar
½ C. white sugar
¼ tsp paprika
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
in a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries
in a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Just before serving pour over the spinach and strawberries toss to coat.
another of my favorites

Gabbys Macaroni Salad
12 oz. Bow Tie Pasta, cooked according to direction
12 oz. can of chunky pineapple*
1 C. diced celery*
1 bunch green onions, chopped*
1 C. cashews
1 C. grapes, cut in half*
4 Chicken breasts, cooked and diced
Dressing
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 16 oz. bottle of coleslaw dressing
Mix dressing and combine with above ingredients, except cashews, and macaroni.
When blended, carefully stir in pasta to minimize breakage. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Add cashews just before serving.
*If you want to make changes, just remember 2 veggies and 2 fruits doesnt matter what, just 2 of each. Also I never seem to use that many chicken breast I'd do it to taste and again maybe experiment wonder how it would taste with say salmon just a thought but again it is a yummy dish as is
luck with your event
sheila

Marilyn, your Fresh Bean Salad looked so...well...fresh that I decided to make it today for a family luncheon. It turned out wonderful and we all enjoyed it very much.

I had emailed you to ask how many the salad served, but maybe you didn't get the email thru the GW. I'd say 6-8 as we had 6 today at lunch and there were leftovers.

This will be served to our Shareholders' at my job when they visit in June.

Thanks!

Oh Teresa, I'm afraid the email through here doesn't work very well. I've tried to mail people and it never seems to work.

Anyway, thank you so much! I'm happy you liked the salad. We love it too! In our case, it only serves 2 over a couple of days:)

Marilyn

Although this one may not be everyone's favorite, it's one of mine. It's a little different and unusual.

Glenda's Alaskan Coleslaw is very good. I'm coping and pasting these recipes too!

these are all mouth watering. Thanks for your help everyone.
Gwen

As a pro cook who works in catering, I am wondering how you will keep all these salads cold, i.e. safe? We can do it, but we have a lot of equipment made for this. Do you have access to a walk-in cooler?

Remember, they must be kept below 41 F until they are served. This is especially true for something like a rice salad, which is a real potential problem (bacteria that can cause disease love cooked rice and grains-all that yummy starch to eat, all that surface area, and moisture-perfect bacteria growing conditions). After cooking the rice, get it below 41 F as fast as possible. Put it in multiple pans, spread out thin so it will cool fast.

I have rented a hall which has all the cooler space I will need and more. I used to cater as well so I have taken the course for safe food handleing.
Thanks

I just returned from my step-daughter's weeding in Florida. They had a buffet dinner and one of the most popular dishes was a salad of toasted pecan halves and steamed asparagus cut in about inch and a half pieces. The dressing was olive oil, basalmic vinegar, honey, mustard, paprika and S & P.

ORANGE DREAMCICLE CREAM FRUIT SALAD

1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, well drained
1 16 oz. can sliced peaches, well drained
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, well drained
2 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 medium apple, course chopped
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 & 1/2 cups whole milk or half & half
1/3 cup frozen orange juice
3/4 cups sour cream

In a large chilled bowl mix the fruits and set aside.

In a bowl beat the pudding mix, milk, and the orange juice for about 2 minutes.

Fold in the sour cream, and mix in well.

Spoon mixture over the fruit, toss to coat, cover with wrap and place in frig for at least 2 hours,

Serve well chilled.

This will serve about 10.