Ms. BeeHaven's Simple Green Salad

The Simple Green Salad

I think one of the hardest things about trying new foods is knowing what to do with them. Things that look and sound really yummy in a store or restaurant can sit in your refrigerator taunting you with unknown possibilities. Kale is a good example of this. There have been numerous scholarly articles written about the health benefits of kale and stores like Whole Foods always have interesting salads and side dishes making kale seem appetizing. Then you get it home and it languishes in the refrigerator until you throw it out or you make something with it that doesn’t bring out its best qualities (which in the case of kale can be illusive) and you throw that out. In theory then, kale should be on everyone’s dinner plate, the practice however is a different story.

Lettuce, kale’s more widely recognized step-sister, is a familiar favorite in many meal plans. It is very user friendly and we feel comfortable in the knowledge that lettuce plus ranch dressing equals something edible. However, there is more to a good green salad than iceberg and mayo, in fact there are certain rules that need to be followed. You’ve heard of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi? Well here is the salad equivalent.

Gather the following ingredients and tools. Do not start assembling the salad until you have read the complete instructions!

1.     A good salad bowl is required. Wooden is preferred but nice decorative pottery is acceptable although the flavors will not blend, meld and age as well in pottery or glass.

2.    Good oil, it can be a fruity olive oil, a walnut oil or avocado oil but it must be fresh and flavorful. Walnut oil spoils easily so it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Take it out and allow it to warm slightly before using.

3.    Fresh garlic, no not the canned stuff or garlic powder or (seriously now?) garlic salt. You will need to crush the garlic cloves using the flat side of a large kitchen knife, no need to peel beforehand. After crushing the peel will slip right off.

4.    Sea salt or kosher salt (but no one will know if you use ordinary salt) to be used carefully and to taste.

5.    Good fresh, organic, lettuce. Varieties like red and green leaf, butter lettuce, romaine and mesculun mixes are acceptable. Leafy vegetables like spinach and kale or arugula are also quite nice and add flavor and body. Wash it and dry it using a salad spinner or by wrapping it in paper towels. Treat it gently but make sure you get all the dirt off the leaves. This is especially true of organic farm raised lettuce. It needs to be as dry as possible so the oil can adhere to it. That is the glue that will hold your salad together. I have heard of people using their dishwashers set on cold to do this step but I have never tried it so I cannot endorse this method.

6.    Add ins; tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, sliced mushrooms, olives, anything that tickles your fancy. Don’t forget treats like sliced almonds, toasted pine nuts, pecans or dried fruit like cherries and craisins. Try to pick ingredients that go together well like dried cherries and almond, or mandarin oranges and mushrooms.

7.    Cheeses: these are optional and varied. Good sharp blue cheese or feta makes a nice counterpart to sweet fruit or strong spinach or green leaf lettuce. Grated Pecorino adds a little sophisticated flavor without overwhelming the greens. I often check the remainder or mark down section of the cheese aisle and see what new flavors I can try.

8.    Vinegar or lemon juice. Avoid using the white or cider household vinegar. It is very strongly flavored and has a high acidity, we even use it as a weed-killer. Use instead a white or red wine vinegar that has a more developed flavor but less acid.

9.    One last note: it is possible to put too much into your salad. You can overwhelm both your taste buds and the flavors by mixing too much in. Tossed salad refers to the method of mixing the salad not the action of “tossing” everything in the vegetable bin into the bowl. Think carefully about the flavors of each ingredient and how they will impact the others. You can always save something for tomorrow’s salad.

Assembly instructions:

Step 1: Using the flat side of your large kitchen knife, crush the garlic cloves. This will release the skin which you can simply pull away from the clove. Depending on how garlicky you like your salad, one or two cloves is sufficient. Rub the cloves around the inside of the bowl, coating the bowl well.

Step 2: Add the washed and dried lettuce and any other leafy green vegetables. Drizzle with 2-3T of oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss well so that the lettuce is coated with oil. It should be shiny but not dripping. Set aside about 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients making sure not to overwhelm the salad. The add-ins should not be more than 1/3 the entire volume of the salad. Toss again. Top with cheese and drizzle with about 1T vinegar or lemon juice more or less depending on your taste. Toss again and allow to rest about 5 minutes allowing the flavors to blend. Serve with good crusty bread, perfectly grilled steak and a glass of your favorite wine. Enjoy!