Salad Days

IN A PINCH, A SIMPLE BOWL of dressed greens makes for an easy vegetable choice at mealtime. In a sea of complicated salads with multiple steps, turning to a tossed salad for a quick bite to eat shouldn’t be overlooked. At home my salads are typically thrown together in this fashion, and I will vary the vinaigrette or the greens to keep it interesting.

For a daily green salad the strategy is simple—purchase a bag of mixed lettuce or grab a head or two of leafy greens. Don’t spend too much time thinking about what salad you’ll make. Instead, let the greens on hand determine what to put together. Lighter greens like butter lettuce and baby spring greens go better with a lighter vinaigrette. Toothsome greens like kale, arugula, and mustard greens do well with a high-acid vinaigrette or thicker dressing—both of which help break down the greens and add flavor to these strong leaves.

Typically, I purchase two or three lettuces or mixed bags of greens, choosing what variety to grab by altering the flavor, color, and texture among them. My go-tos are arugula for its peppery bite; butter lettuce for its delicate flavor and soft mouthfeel; and a head of romaine or iceberg for its thick, watery rib and crispy nature. Whole, fresh herbs are also important—parsley, cilantro, and mint are the holy trinity of herbs that I always have in the crisper.

Within the recipes, feel free to sub out one chicory for another, or one tender green for a different option. I highly recommend that you continue mixing and matching across the families, which works to keep both your palate and visual system engaged.

Homemade vinaigrette can be as simple as a squeeze of citrus and some oil and salt, and that’s what I’ve done here—kept it super simple. If you have an extra five minutes, opt for a more complex vinaigrette. If you truly only have thirty seconds, squeeze some lemon juice on your greens and be done with it.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LEAF FOR YOUR SALADS

THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS FOR ADDING greens to your salads, and while some greens are best for some recipes, it really boils down to what you prefer. Generally speaking, lettuces fall under several categories defined by their type and growing disposition. I’ve outlined them below as a quick shopping reference.

Unfortunately there is no real governing body for naming lettuces, and stores, farmers, and sellers all call the same species by different names, further confusing the customer. Buy what you like by tasting a small piece of the lettuce, and don’t worry so much about what they’re calling it. Further, I highly encourage you to grow your own lettuce greens. Anyone with a sunny balcony can grow all the lettuce they like with a shallow, long pot. Homegrown lettuces are incomparably flavored and allow for more variety. If you don’t have space, time, or green thumbs, shop at your local farmers’ market. They will always have a larger, fresher, and tastier selection than any store you find yourself in.

BUTTER LETTUCE We often see this sold as Bibb, butterhead, or Boston lettuce. The leaves of this variety (and there are likely more) are soft and buttery, hence the name. Often found in a protective plastic clamshell, these lettuces are hydroponically grown year-round, though if you find them at your farmers’ markets, buy them there. The leaves from an outdoor growth cycle will be stronger in flavor, darker, more densely packed, and contain more nutrients.

LOOSELEAF A mix of lettuces, looseleafs are also called spring greens, and they’re composed of any assortment of baby-size leaves that will often include a little bit from every salad family. Spring mixes are tender and delicate in taste, and they often include the oakleaf species of lettuces—named for their shape.

MUSTARDS AND BRASSICAS All dark green and toothsome, the brassica family includes broccoli and cauliflower and is known for its strong leaf varieties. They tend to be more popular in winter, as they are cold season crops, and many force you to chew, chew, chew to break down the fibrous leaves. They are also known for their spicy quality. Arugula, kale, turnip tops, radish tops, mustard spinach, ruby streaks, mizuna, and more are all brassicas.

CHICORIES These bitter lettuce greens do well in cooler climates and taste best during the shoulder season between winter and spring. Chicories sold in summer tend to be super bitter and can be off-putting. Radicchio, endive, escarole, frisée, and dandelion are all chicories. Often you will see them at the farmers’ market or grocery store.

ROMAINES Romaine lettuces are the common salad green everyone knows. Used in a traditional Caesar salad, all greens in the romaine family have a thick, watery rib and tend to hold their crispness. Green leaf and red leaf lettuce you find at the grocery store are more often than not in the romaine family. Batavian is a subcategory within romaines, wherein a romaine and iceberg lettuce are crossed.

ICEBERG Icebergs are also known as crispheads, and while some people snub these densely packed white heads of salad, a head of homegrown iceberg lettuce is a thing of delicious beauty. Composed mostly of water, they are fresh and crisp. Please try growing some!

STORAGE

MOST PRODUCE DOES BETTER WITH a little moisture and some air circulation. The crispers in refrigerators tend to do a good job of keeping moisture in, but to extend the life of produce, remove it from the produce bags. Fresh greens can be wrapped in single layers of slightly dampened linen towels. Apples can be kept in paper bags (although they do very well individually wrapped in tissue paper and stored in the garage), and herbs can be kept as you would fresh flowers—in small jars with an inch or so of water that is refreshed every other day. Most other vegetables should either be stored in the crisper on their own or wrapped loosely with a dish towel.