The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Salad

Tender spring asparagus. Luscious summer berries. Spicy autumn greens and bright winter citrus. More than any other dish, salad allows the characteristic flavors of each season to shine. A simple combination of fresh ingredients in a salad from your kitchen can be more impressive than even the most elaborate dish.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Salad offers more than 40 wonderful salad recipes, grouped by season to emphasize the importance of using ingredients as they reach their natural peak of ripeness. Whether you have a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes in your backyard or a handful of wine-colored beets from the farmers' market, there's a recipe here that offers a delicious way to prepare them. A chapter of portable salads will tempt you to plan a picnic, while a selection of classic salads -- from Cobb salad to celery rémoulade -- rounds out the collection.

Full-color photographs of each dish help make the choice an easy one, and each recipe is accompanied by a photographic sidebar that highlights an essential ingredient or cooking technique, making Salad much more than a great collection of simple recipes. An informative basics section and extensive glossary fill in all you need to know to create the perfect salad.

Salads bring out the best in fresh seasonal ingredients, whether they are delicate spring lettuces paired with soft goat cheese or crisp autumn apples tossed with toasted pecans.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Salad offers more than 40 easy-to-follow recipes, including both classic favorites and fresh new ideas. In these pages, you'll find inspiring salads designed to suit occasions throughout the year -- from an informal summer picnic to an elegant dinner with friends. This vividly photographed, full-color recipe collection, appealing to both novice and experienced cooks, will become an essential addition to your kitchen bookshelf.