Turkey and Farfalle Green Salad

My dear friend Kimi over at If I Could gave me this recipe a few years ago and I have made it several times since, especially for large gatherings. When serving, it's fun to have your guests choose which dressing to put on, that is why there are three dressing recipes to choose from. My favorite is the "Sunshine Dressing".

These recipes are also part of the "Cookers Challenge...Rediscovering Cooking" aka. cooking from scratch. My favorite thing to always make from scratch are salad dressings...they can really make a salad. It's worth the little bit of extra time it takes to make them. Actually, if it's not from scratch the only dressings I buy are Robintinos Ranch, I'd love to have the secret recipe for that (hmmmm....Lisa), or Litehouse Bleu Cheese.

Turkey and Farfalle Green Salad

Makes 10 large portions

12 oz. bag farfalle (bowtie) pasta, about 5 cups dry

1 1/4 lb. or about 4 cups cooked turkey cut into cubes

About 2 heads of romaine lettuce

3/4 c. chopped celery

3/4 c. Crasins

4-5 green onions cut in thin slices (cut white part and 1" into the green part)

1/2 chopped fresh parsley

2/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds

Cook the pasta. Mix up the orange dressing mix. Put the pasta in a plastic bag and pour in about 1/2 c. of orange dressing and toss the pasta to coat it with the dressing. If you are not making the orange dressing to server over the salad, you can marinate the pasta in 1/3 c. bottled Italian dressing mixed with 3 Tbs. of orange juice. Chill the pasta for about 2 hours.

Tear the lettuce into pieces, add all the other ingredients and toss. Top with almonds. Serve with orange, teriyaki, or Sunshine Dressing. Also delicious with raspberry vinaigrette.

Cooking for a smaller group:

Cook a scant 1/2 c. of farfalle pasta per person. For each person, plan on 2 cups of lettuce, buy 2 oz. of turkey (deli meat or turkey tenders). Use about 1 Tbs. each of craisins, almonds, and chopped celery; 1/2 tsp. green onion, and 1/2 tsp. of chopped parsley with 2 Tbs. of dressing.

Orange Dressing

(This makes enough to marinate the pasta plus enough for the salad dressing)

2/3 c. orange juice

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. sugar

1 packet, or 2 Tbs. of Good Seasons Italian dry dressing mix

Optional: 1 tsp. grated orange peel

Mix dressing in a shaker jar or blender and chill before serving. Dressing will keep several weeks refrigerated.

Teriyaki Salad Dressing

(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 c. vegetable oil

2/3 c. teriyaki sauce (I like Veri Veri Teriyaki)

2/3 c. white wine vinegar (may substitute regular white vinegar)

6 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix in blender and chill before serving.

Sunshine Salad Dressing

(adapted from page 130 of Julie Badger Jensen's book, Essential Mormon Cooking)

3 Tbs. chopped onion

1 tsp. regular yellow mustard

2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. white vinegar

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

Mix together everything but the oil in a blender. Gradually add the oil. Keeps three weeks in the refrigerator.