(Salade Verte à la Vinaigrette)


This is a basic recipe, one that should be part of every culinary repertoire. On the farm it is an everyday salad that changes according to the season, depending on what greens are fresh in the garden.


In winter I am a slave to escarole, which I occasionally combine with Belgian endive. In spring and summer I mix greens, using green or red oak-leaf, mesclun (a fragrant mix of young greens), arugula, and fresh herbs.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled, green germ removed, and minced
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 7 ounces (210 g) mixed salad greens (8 cups, loosely packed), such as escarole, oak-leaf, and romaine, rinsed, patted dry, and torn into bite-size pieces

    DIRECTIONS

    1. Place the vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic in a medium-size bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified.


    2. Add the greens and toss well until they are coated with the dressing. Season with pepper to taste and serve the salad immediately.

    Excerpted from FRENCH FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK
    Copyright © 1996 by Susan Herrmann Loomis
    Used by permission of Workman Publishing, New York
    All Rights Reserved