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Sensational Salads

mesclun

Mesclun is a Provençal term for a mix of many varieties of young red and green lettuces, arugula (rocket), endives, and chervil, either grown together or grown separately and then mixed in the salad bowl. Mesclun is traditionally served with a simple vinaigrette. There are endless variations using different vinegars, lemon juice, sprinklings of fresh herbs, and all different types of croutons and seasonings.

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

4 to 6 large handfuls of mixed mesclun greens

To make the dressing: Mix the vinegar, salt, and pepper and using a whisk blend in the oil to taste.

To make the salad: Toss the dressing gently with the mesclun greens and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

basic garden salad

One of the great things about a salad is that you can usually take whatever is in the garden, produce section, or farmers’ market and mix it in the bowl, from early spring to late fall—even in the winter if you have a cold frame or a little greenhouse. Most times the base of your salad will be a lettuce or some other neutral green. To determine quantities, figure on one large handful of greens per person. To the greens you can add all sorts of goodies like baby beet thinnings, wild chickweed, pea shoots, cooked vegetables, meats, nuts, and croutons. The list is almost endless. The following is a jumping-off-type recipe; the point is to let your imagination dictate what goes into your glorious salads.

For the dressing:

1½ tablespoons balsamic or rice wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh dill or basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 small head butter lettuce

1 small head Oak Leaf lettuce

1 small Belgian endive, base removed and leaves separated

1 small head of frisée

10 arugula (rocket) leaves

6 dill flowers

1 large red chard stem, cut into 2-in (5-cm) pieces

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, garlic, mustard, oil, and herbs; add salt and pepper to taste; and whisk until emulsified.

To make the salad: Combine the greens in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the greens, and toss. Garnish with dill flowers and chopped chard stem. Serves 4.

wild party salad

This salad has a festive feeling and a bright minty flavor. It can include a dozen varieties of greens, even wild ones like violets or miner’s lettuce, or a tamer mix of three or four lovely lettuces and baby spinach. Much depends on what’s available in your garden or at the market.

For the dressing:

5 tablespoons avocado oil

5 tablespoons chardonnay

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint

For the salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce

2 large heads leaf lettuce

1 large handful arugula (rocket), stems discarded

1 small bunch of young spinach

2 to 4 handfuls of greens, such as baby bok choy or chard, upland cress or watercress, violet leaves, miner’s lettuce, minutina, and chrysanthemum leaves, or other seasonal greens

½ cup (20 g) violet and violas, petals of calendula and chive blossoms, small florets of mustard or broccoli blossom

Garnish: whole calendula or viola flowers, florets of mustard or broccoli, and a few sprigs of whole greens

To make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine the oil, wine, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mint. Stir the ingredients with a wire whisk. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the salad: Wash the greens and dry them in a salad spinner or on paper towels. Tear the greens into bite-size pieces and place them in a very large serving bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wash the edible flowers and put the stems in a glass of water or place the flowers between damp paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, remove the petals from the calendula and chive flower heads, break the mustard or broccoli flower heads into small florets, and set them aside. Stir the dressing, drizzle it over the greens, and toss lightly to coat the greens. Sprinkle the chive and calendula petals, mustard and broccoli florets, and whole viola or violet flowers over the salad. Garnish one side of the bowl with a cluster of whole calendula or viola flowers, mustard or broccoli florets, and a few whole greens. Serves 6 to 8.

watermelon spicy salad

This salad is a blend of traditional Thai flavors. The following recipe was inspired by a TV show I saw featuring chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. I missed writing down their recipe, so I tried to re-create it. Here is my re-creation.

For the dressing:

¼ cup (65 ml) fresh lime juice

¼ cup (65 ml) white grape juice

1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

1 tablespoon chopped mint or cilantro

1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, minced

Garnish: mint or cilantro

For the salad:

1 small head Bibb lettuce

4 cups (600 g) watermelon cubes, seeded if necessary

16 to 20 small American shrimp, cooked

½ cup (65 g) chopped roasted salted peanuts

To make the salad: Line 4 individual salad plates with the Bibb lettuce leaves. Put 1 cup (150 g) of the water-melon cubes on each plate. Add the shrimp, and sprinkle the peanuts over the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and distribute evenly over each plate. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint or cilantro. Serves 4.

flower confetti salad

Chartreuse butter lettuces and the warm colors of flower petals can dress up an everyday salad or start off a festive meal. A salad can be especially dramatic when prepared at the table. Pick flowers as close to serving time as possible. Put the stems in a glass of water and refrigerate.

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons rice-wine or champagne vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon frozen white grape juice or apple juice concentrate

3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

1 large or 2 small heads of Bibb lettuce

1 large handful of mixed baby greens

6 to 8 organically grown edible flowers such as nasturtiums, calendulas, violas, pansies, rose petals, or borage flowers

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and juice concentrate. Whisk in the oil until blended.

To make the salad: Wash the lettuce and baby greens and dry them in a salad spinner or gently pat them dry with paper towels. In a large salad bowl, break the lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces and add baby greens. If not serving immediately, cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Wash the flowers gently, lightly pat them dry with paper towels, and gently pull off the petals. In a small bowl, stir the petals to mix the colors and make a confetti. You should have about ⅓ cup (15 g) of loosely packed petals.

Stir the dressing, pour 3 or 4 tablespoons over the lettuce and greens, and toss. Add more dressing if needed, but be careful not to overwhelm the salad. Divide the salad equally among four salad plates. Scatter a small handful of flower-petal confetti over each individual salad and serve. Serves 4.

garden bouquet salad with lemon-herb vinaigrette

Here’s an elegant and exotic salad from Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden.

For the dressing:

1 small scallion (green onion), chopped fine

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

2 or 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced chive flower petals or chopped fresh chives

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup (190 ml) olive oil

For the salad:

2 small heads radicchio (or red-leaf lettuce as a second choice)

2 handfuls mâche (corn salad)

2 small heads Bibb lettuce

12 to 14 leaves (2 handfuls) young arugula (rocket) or watercress

2 or 3 fresh sorrel leaves

¾ cup (30 g) fresh green and purple basil leaves

½ cup (20 g) calendula petals

¼ cup (10 g) borage flowers

To make the dressing: With a whisk, combine all the ingredients except the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil, beating continually until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Season to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the salad: Wash and dry the greens. Reserve 6 to 8 leaves of radicchio or red lettuce. Tear the remaining radicchio, mâche, Bibb lettuce, arugula, and sorrel into bite-size pieces and combine them with the basil leaves in the center of the salad bowl. Line the outer edges of the bowl with the reserved radicchio or red lettuce. Sprinkle the calendula petals and borage flowers around the outside border.

Stir the dressing again and pour it over the salad after presenting it at the table. Serves 6.

riot of color salad

How about a really colorful salad for a special occasion? Use your imagination and the prettiest edible flowers from your garden.

For the dressing:

1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 to 4 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 tablespoon clover or wildflower honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce

1 head butter lettuce

1 small head frisée

4 to 6 young leaves of yellow chard

About a dozen organically grown edible flowers such as yellow and blue violas, purple pansies, nasturtiums, yellow calendulas, and red dianthus

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sunflower oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the salad: Arrange the romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, and chard leaves on a large colorful platter. Separate the flowers into petals, reserving some whole. Sprinkle the greens with flower petals and garnish with the whole blossoms. Bring the salad to the table and let diners dress their own salad. Serves 4.

tangelo and kiwi salad with orange blossoms

This citrus salad is lovely to look at, and the flavors are both familiar yet slightly different. Taste your citrus petals before adding them to the dressing. Expect some bitterness, but if they are very harsh try blossoms from another tree. The point of adding a few citrus blossoms to the dressing is to infuse the tangelo juice with a lovely aroma and to deepen the citrus flavor.

6 medium tangelos, divided, or 3 tangelos and 1 cup (250 ml) of bottled fresh tangerine juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

5 lemon, tangerine, or orange blossoms, divided