Chässalat
On hot days in Switzerland, like in many other countries, people eat salad.
But because it's Switzerland, sometimes a lot of cheese is involved.
Chässalat (literally cheese salad) is a great way to get in all your vegetables, while still eating inordinate amount of cheese. My mum always punctuated her summer suppers with this and another favourite Swiss "salad"—Wurstsalat, made almost entirely of sausage.
You can use whatever vegetables you have around (if Sam had his way this salad would be fifty percent cheese and fifty percent onions) and serve it on a bed of lettuce if you like.
In a restaurant, there are variations on the theme—Wurst-, Käse-, or Wurst und Käse salat—which will typically get you a creamily-dressed, sausage or cheese-heavy salad, maybe with an onion or pickle thrown in. Order your salad garnished, garniert, to get the vegetables too.
300 g hard cheese
1 spring onion
1 bunch radishes
1 cucumber
3 large (or six small) tomatoes
Dressing
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, parsley, chives)
Chop the cheese, spring onion, radishes, cucumber, and tomatoes and add them to a big bowl.
Dressing:
Whisk together the vinegar and mustard.
Pour in the oil in a thin stream, while still whisking.
Season with salt and pepper.
Chop fresh herbs and add these.
Pour over the salad.
Any hard cheese will do here—I used leftover bits that I had in my fridge. Gruyère, Etivaz, Appenzeller, or any Berg or Alp cheese would be typical in Switzerland. Cheddar would also be excellent.
Most fresh salad vegetables would work well here.
If you like a creamier dressing, add some mayo.
This serves around two to three as a main dish, or four as a side.
Now for a meaty version?
Wurstsalat
