Food52
My mom is the best home cook I know. She's one of those people naturally talented in the kitchen who goes by feel and rarely measures her ingredients when preparing dishes-- which has made it extremely difficult now in my adult life to get written recipes from her. My mom's harusame salad (harusame, meaning "spring rain" in Japanese, refers to the type of clear, glass-like, bean thread noodles used) was her signature salad when I was growing up, and one of the very few recipes my siblings and I have gotten her to write down for us. She would make it for potlucks, lunches, etc, and it would always get rave reviews from all who tried it. What I appreciate about it now that I didn't when I was younger is the simplicity of the ingredients, the combination of the flavors, how colorful it is, and how easily deconstructible it is (yes, I have little people to feed). It's also flexible-- you can replace the ham with shredded chicken, if you prefer poultry, or tofu to make it vegetarian. And the touch of konbu flavor gives the dressing that little bit of umph and perhaps that mystery "umami" that makes it special. My version has a little less meat and less cucumber (mom's favorite vegetable) than my mom's original, but feel free to change the proportions to your liking.
