For me, salads have always been the culinary equivalent of a sad trombone. This, I know, is a wildly outdated characterization of salads, if not a surprising one coming from a vegetarian. My exception for salads is the Israeli salad, usually defined as a chopped salad with diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers topped with a light, lemon-based vinaigrette.
From the column: "I read the inscription that said it was a memorial to the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. This startled me. It became even more frightening and personal as I read the list of the fallen and my name was there."