Stuart Gair Ceramics: Watershed: Session 1

I asked the residents of the first session…"What makes a great salad plate?"

Here are some of their great responses….

"Lots of surface area and a slightly raised rim to keep in the rif-raf. Slight digit or dip, just slight!"

"Wide rim that holds a design and helps drain the dressing away from the lettuce. An attempt to make them light (less b.s.) so I can buy more that one and carry them stacked to the dinner table without creating a hernia"

"A good salad plate dual functions as a bowl/plate. I want a wider outstretched lip to catch loose leaves…A bowl to really fill and catch dressing and an elevated foot to help me feel like I'm not eating off the table. I personally enjoy salad plates that explore unglazed surfaces-soup? No Way. Salad Plate? Room for playing."

"Large! And with a good, continuous curve so that you can really pile up your salad without it falling off the plate. Thick enough to not feel fragile. I like simple designs, personally, and earthy colors and bare clay + matte surfaces. But, ya know.. personal preferences. Alternate Answer: Stewart."

"A rim and depth so the salad doesn't fall out. Easy to clear."

"Bit of a curve… Smooth on the fork… Enough height to pick up easily"

"Generous size… Slightly bowled up… Color should complement the food, not make it look unappetizing but fun to eat from!"

"Salad greens need a higher rim so they don't slip and slide out of the plate. A wide bottom with adequate depth to hold nature's bounty. Salads made with a dressing pre-mixed with main ingredients work better in a bowl - wide with some depth and curves.

The weight of the plate/bowl needs to be light enough to handle with one hand after it is filled with salad, of course, the most important factor is what goes on/in it!"

"Slightly concave… can hold a few cups of greens with enough room for tossing nuts, dressing and other ingredients… attractive decor."

"Deep - almost "bowl like"… Wide - big salads are better… Easily cleanable texture."

"Wide, Shallow, and bowl-like"

"Large rim… shallow "bowl" shape… foot… Variety in color, surface design so people have fun choosing!"

"Love, bowl, fun design, good vibes, and magic"

"A lot of surface area. Function is key. A small lip that contains the salad is also a nice feature since salad tends to migrate while eating it."

"A raised lip… a bowl… lots of space… something that you can hold and has an area to rest a fork or utensil."

"Deep - with a swooping curve - almost shallow bowl-like with a rolled rim to press against."

"Large, shallow bowl. Medium weight. Minimal surface decoration to make it easier to see the salad."

"A shallow curve to keep the greens in, and to allow dressing to collect at the bottom to sop up with bread! Also, I think of earth toned glazes, as salads are composed of natural ingredients."

"Deeper than a dinner plate between a plate and bowl, enough to hold a lot of lettuce and everything else doesn't fall out!"