Hola! Another Ensalada Mexicana

As promised; from Diana Kennedy's salad trove

This salad can be made with zucchini, cauliflower, or chayote. I LOVED the cauliflower version.

IF YOU THOUGHT FOR ONE MINUTE that I could stop at one Mexican salad, do we even know each other? I almost decided not to take this particular one for a spin. I couldn’t find Mexican oregano and I’ve read that there simply isn’t a good substitute for the herb. It’s not related to Mediterranean oregano, which is in the mint family. It’s a member of the verbena family, and is citrusy, with a little anise or licorice sneaking around in the background.

After driving all over Atlanta looking for it, I remembered that I live very close to a Penzey’s. You can also order it from FOTDS (Friend of the Department of Salad) Rancho Gordo, which I would have done had I thought of it.

I opened the bag of Mexican oregano as soon as I got it to the car, took a deep whiff, and yelled “Ahhhhhhhh,” startling a young couple coming out of their yoga class. (Doing yoga together seems like a great way to destroy a marriage, but it’s none of my business.)

Mexican Oregano? My business. Couples yoga? NOT my business.

And as I’ve said here before, I feel like it’s not giving a recipe a fair chance if you make it the wrong way the first time, and that includes substitutions, especially outlandish ones. I’m not telling you not to make substitutions or get all freestyle. It’s a free country (I suppose). Fly your freak flag!

But, as I have also said here before, if you make any of my personal recipes and substitute, say, Nutella for olive oil I kindly request that you not tag me when you post your salad all over Instagram or Facebook. I’m trying to make a living here.

Orange and white cauliflower, getting along.

But Kennedy is very flexible when it comes to the salad I have for you today. It’s called simply “Zucchini Salad,” but you can use cauliflower—which is exactly what I did—or chayote instead. The reason I love this recipe, aside from the fact that it is utterly delicious and also very pretty, is that while it falls loosely under one of my favorite salad categories—the composed salad—it simply is not like anything I’ve ever had before. And I love surprises.