Mesclun Salad
Makes 6 servings
Mesclun means “mixture” in the Provençal language (the language they used to speak in the South of France), and the best mesclun salad has a mix of lots of things: sweet young lettuces, spicy greens like rocket, whole leaves of herbs, and even edible flowers. Not all flowers are edible, so make sure someone helps you pick the right ones! This recipe makes a lot of salad, which is great if you’re like me and love it!
6 generous handfuls (about ¾ pound) mixed lettuces, leaves, and herbs (Use tender young lettuces or the hearts of larger heads of lettuce, the yellow parts of curly endive, rocket leaves, mâche, young mustard leaves, parsley leaves, and chervil leaves.)
4 tablespoons vinaigrette
Sea salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
A handful of edible flowers, such as chive blossoms, calendula petals, borage flowers, nasturtium, or pansies (optional)
To prepare the lettuces, separate the lettuce heads into leaves, getting rid of any damaged leaves you find along the way. Tear the larger leaves into smaller pieces but leave the smaller leaves whole. Wash all the lettuce gently in a large bowl filled with cold water. (If the lettuce is dirty, you may need to lift the lettuce out, change the water, and wash it again.) When the lettuce is completely clean, lift it out and spin it dry in a salad spinner. (Martine uses a dish towel: she puts the salad in it and waves it over her head in her backyard!) If you use a salad spinner, only fill it half full; otherwise the leaves will be too crowded together and won’t dry enough. It’s really important to have dry lettuce, or the dressing won’t coat the leaves when you put it on. As they are dried, spread the lettuce leaves out on a towel. Roll the towel up loosely.
When ready to serve, put the lettuce in a wide salad bowl. Pour half of the vinaigrette over the salad leaves and toss gently to coat, using your hands. The leaves should be lightly coated with dressing so they glisten. Taste the salad. If you need to, pour additional dressing over the salad and toss again. Add salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the salad with the petals of the edible flowers if you have them. Eat immediately.
Baked Goat Cheese with Garden Lettuces
Makes 4 servings
½ pound fresh goat cheese (one 2-by-5-inch log)
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
1 small rosemary sprig, chopped
½ cup olive oil
½ pound garden lettuces, washed and dried
3 tablespoons vinaigrette
Carefully cut the goat cheese log into 8 disks, each about ½-inch thick. (Hint: it’s easiest to do this when the goat cheese is very, very cold.) Sprinkle the cheese disks with the chopped herbs and toasted bread crumbs and pour the olive oil over to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 400º F. (A toaster oven works well too.) Carefully roll the cheese disks in the bread crumbs so they are evenly coated on all sides. Place the bread crumb–covered cheeses on a small baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is warmed completely.
In a large salad bowl, dress the lettuces with vinaigrette. With a metal spatula, carefully place 2 disks of the baked goat cheese on each plate. Put a small handful of salad next to the cheese and serve.
