Standout salad

Sunset, July, 2005 by Katie Tamony

Taste-testing the recipes for our July issue is, you can imagine, a popular staff activity. During those few weeks in early spring, everyone wants to be an honorary member of the Food department. Grilled, garlicky shrimp on skewers, marinated tri-tip, a luscious blueberry-peach tart--who wouldn't love the job?

Because we tend to create more recipes than we have room to publish each month, we scrutinize the final list to ensure we're meeting many needs: the perfect potluck offering, the dish you can whip up in 30 minutes, the great entree to grill.

Once we have the variety, I zero in on finding the wow dish, the one worthy of fireworks, the one everyone will be sharing with friends. Last year, the standout Crunchy Napa Cabbage Slaw (available on www.sunset.com) was my pick. Even people who usually hate coleslaw wrote us letters to tell us that our version converted them.

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This year, my hunch is that another great salad will be making its way around backyards and beaches in the West: It's the orzo with green beans, corn, and tomatoes on page 90. If you're looking for a killer new pasta salad, this is it. The dressing, a refreshing tarragon-mustard vinaigrette, just says "summer."

Once we had tasted all the July recipes and argued about the favorites, our Food and Entertaining editor, Sara Schneider, turned her attention to the other part of her job: choosing great wines. This month, she helps readers select the perfect accompaniments for ribs, hamburgers, and yes, even hot dogs. Who would have thought that a sparkling red would work so well with the most casual fare? See page 102 for Sara's complete recommendations.