Salads can be unbearably boring when poorly made. Our family's understanding of good salad construction has been greatly influenced by The Complete Tassahara Cookbook; these tips come from that book, filtered through the sensibilities of someone who rarely enjoys green salads, and are equally useful when making a salad in your kitchen or room or when building a meal from a dining hall salad bar.

• Start by deciding what your main leaf is: lettuce, kale, cabbage, or something else?
• Choose a few other ingredients to add – simplicity is best.
• Go for a variety of flavors, textures, and colors, and find contrasts and complements. Don't be afraid to have classics one day and unexpected combinations the next!
• You can put almost anything into a salad, so try selecting one item from several of these categories: fresh herbs, raw vegetables, lightly cooked vegetables, pickles, fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts & seeds, cheeses, and cooked or preserved meats & eggs.
• Salad dressings are meant to tie everything together; what works best with your ingredients? Do you want the overall taste to match or contrast with the rest of the meal? Will your dressing be creamy, acidic, salty, oily, sweet, spicy, or bitter?
• A basic vinaigrette is equal parts oil and vinegar, with dabs of optional flavorings such as honey, mustard, minced garlic, or fruit juices.
• How do you want to eat the salad? Tossed with dressing? In separate piles with dressing as dip? Vary the sizes and shapes of your ingredients, and learn what your ideal bite-size is.

If you want a few combinations to get started, here are our family's favorites:

• Shredded green cabbage, cubed pepper jack, & cashews, tossed with honey vinaigrette.
• Romaine, diced red apple, minced red onion, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, diced aged white cheddar, chopped parsley, salt & pepper, tossed with garlic vinaigrette.
• Chopped & salt-massaged kale with sliced radish, cubed apple, and avocado chunks, tossed with honey & lemon juice dressing and topped with roasted sunflower seeds.
• Lightly steamed green cabbage wedges drizzled with soy sauce.
• Spinach or cabbage, sliced chicken breast, grated carrot, sliced cucumber, sliced green onions, mandarin orange slices, fresh cilantro, roasted peanuts, and fried chow mein noodles, tossed with a rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar vinaigrette.

(Originally part of an unpublished dorm cooking zine I was writing in 2014.)