Garden salads are, obviously, all about the greens. A well-made one consists of carefully chosen greens, vegetables, meat or seafood all lightly drizzled with dressing. Let’s start with the greens. There are crisp greens, mild greens, tart, slightly tart, etc. You can put practically any kind of green in your salad, from the standard romaine and iceberg  lettuces to watercress, arugula, radicchio, spinach and more. Choose  the freshest, crisp leaves. Properly wash them by separating the leaves and swishing them around in a bowl of cold water, repeating the process until the water is clear. Fill up the spinner to about half. Spin and dry once more with paper towels. Tear or cut them.  Assemble the rest of the cast, taking into consideration the harmony of tastes. Too many sweet flavors or strong garnishes will not work. Toss with dressing in any type of wide bowl (ceramic or glass will do just as well as wood).

Here’s my all-time favorite mixed salad: (more…)