TV chef likes salad with unexpected greens

The queen of culinary cool says if you want a killer salad, kick up the salt and ditch the unripe tomatoes.

"There are too many other delicious veggies you can use to rely on unripe tomatoes," Food Network star Anne Burrell said. "And if a salad isn't dressed or seasoned properly, that's also a problem for me.

"Salt brings out the flavor in food and makes it taste like what it should be," she said. "An under-dressed or under-salted salad is just not cool."

Burrell, whose cookbook "Cook Like a Rock Star" (Clarkson Potter) is being released in the fall, also likes to add an element of the unexpected to her salads.

"I try to be surprising when I make salads. I love using less traditional greens, like escarole, which has a real bite to it and can stand up to other strong flavors."

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Mint

Kosher salt

1 pound sugar snap peas, stem ends and strings removed

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced thin and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups baby arugula

1/2 small red onion, julienned

1/4 cup pecorino cheese, shaved

8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

To blanch the peas, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of well-salted ice water and set it nearby.

Add the peas to the boiling water, let the water return to a boil, then cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the peas from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into the ice water. When the peas are cold, drain them and lay on paper towels to dry.

Cut the peas in half lengthwise, then set aside.

Coat a medium saute pan with olive oil, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Set the pan over medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the prosciutto and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crispy. Add the vinegar. Turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the arugula, snap peas and onion, along with the prosciutto and any juices from the pan. Toss well. Add the pecorino and mint, then taste and adjust salt if needed.