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!  

Go Ask Vonda at the Dairy Queen

    I have learned many interesting things since moving to Nebraska in June. In fact, some would say our learning curve has been as steep as an Everest climb.Some new knowledge is useful but not life changing but some of it will stay in our hearts forever. Things like don't put one eyeliner before you go out to fix the irrigation system or you'll wind up looking like a depressed raccoon probably should have already been filed away somewhere but had to be relearned the hard way. There was totally new knowledge like learning to bale hay. Watch the twine or it will get all wound up in some dohickey and your bales will look like something from a horror-flick bleeding out in the field. Or if you have a 4 month old puppy standing hip high at the shoulder and named for the god of chaos and you hang your clothes out on the line-chances are they will end up festooning the yard. There was old knowledge that was vital to survival in rural Nebraska. Strategic Air Conditioning, for example, which is the process of opening and closing the drapes and windows during the course of the day to keep the house cool. This is very similar to the 4/40 car air conditioning of our youth. Or just when you think the wind can't blow any harder it steps it up a notch.
     The most important lessons we have learned though are the ones closest to our hearts. We have learned that old friends are the best friends, time with your children is the most precious commodity in the world, and that my mother was right, it is better to be born lucky than rich. We learned that starting your own business is a lot like having a new baby. You invest more money, time, and energy than you ever thought possible. Every week brings new challenges but I'm told, on good authority, that through perseverance and hard work you can create something of which to be proud. I only have only to look at our three children to know this to be the truth.

     We have learned that help can come from some pretty unexpected places. When I called a refrigeration repair shop in Scottsbluff looking for a cooler curtain for our deli cooler the receptionist cheerfully offered to call around to their suppliers. When she called back however her solution to my problem was a surprise. You don't want to buy 300 feet of cooler plastic, that's too much. Call Vonda at the Dairy Queen. She just bought a roll and she don't need all that. I'll bet she'll sell you some. Tentatively I called the Dairy Queen and explained my problem expecting a brush off at best and a cursing at worst. She listened and said Sure, I can do that. How much do you need? Can you get here soon? Surprised, I asked if she was the only Dairy Queen in town. You're not from around here. are you? This is a lesson we learn every day here. People we meet are kind and generous, helpful and encouraging (that's not to say they don't go home and tell their friends about Crazy Coloradoans). Even foreigners like us-You're not from around here, are you?- are given a warm , if cautious, welcome.  I am told that it takes about three years before people accept the fact that you're here to stay.
     This is a land that is lost in time. In town the noon whistle still blows, shops still close, and people still go home for lunch. Older women still introduce themselves as Mrs.Husbandsname.  Kindness and consideration for others is still a virtue. And Vonda at the Dairy Queen is still willing to help a stranger.

     I have also learned a lesson that has been repeated every sunrise and sunset this week. Even in the midst of disaster there is still beauty.

Smokey Sunset Fire Roasted Beets   

Preheat charcoal or gas grill

2lbs Fresh Whole Beets, tops and hairy root ends removed, leaving about 1 inch of tops.

Olive oil, about 2 T

Flaked salt

Pepper

Herbed Red Wine Vinegar, about 1 T, to taste

Crumbled Feta

On a sheet of aluminum foil about 12 inches long, place the cleaned and prepared beets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold foil around beets forming a packet, sealing both ends and top. Place on grill for 20 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, open the packet and allow to cool until safe to handle. Peel beets and remove remaining top and root. Cut into quarters. Toss with vinegar. Serve resting on a bed of freshly torn lettuce and garnished with crumbled feta.