Patricia Wells: A salad with it all ... but fruit

Patricia Wells wants her salads to have it all -- fresh seasonal ingredients, bright colors, crunch and a bit of lean protein.

Well, almost all.

"I generally do not like fruit in my salads, though I do enjoy cantaloupe or watermelon from time to time," Wells, author of numerous cookbooks, said in an email interview.

And for Wells, salads don't just make the meal, they can make it memorable.

For the 20 Salads of Summer series, Wells offered a recipe for ginger-sesame chicken salad with glass noodles.

Ginger and Sesame Chicken Salad with Glass Noodles

2 tablespoons tamari or other Japanese soy sauce

4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons Chinese black rice vinegar

2 plump, moist garlic cloves, peeled, halved, green germ removed, and minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) cubed cooked chicken

3 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

7 ounces glass (cellophane) noodles

Fresh shiso leaves, cut into a chiffonade (or fresh cilantro leaves), for garnish

In a small jar, combine the tamari, sesame seeds, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic and ginger. Cover and shake to blend. Taste for seasoning, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and half the scallions. Toss with about half of the dressing, or just enough to moisten the ingredients evenly. Taste for seasoning.

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Do not salt the water. Add the glass noodles, swirl them in the water, and cook just until soft, about 1 minute. Drain, and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Drain again.

In a second large bowl, toss the noodles with the remaining dressing. Place the seasoned noodles on large serving plates. Scatter the cubed chicken over the noodles, then garnish with the shiso or cilantro and the remaining scallions.