Hello food and wine lovers Chef Olan Cox here from the heart of Mendocino County, California. I adore greens, especially those fresh from the garden. One of my favorite ways to enjoy is with a good simple salad using a base of about two thirds lettuce and a third arugula.
I like to use a mix of greens, ranging from sweeter lettuces, butter head, romaine or a fresh spring mix, then add in some arugula and radicchio. The contrast of the sweet lettuces and tart arugula and radicchio is a wonderful canvas to dress with this simple dressing. For extra flavor and texture, I like to add things like fresh radish sprouts, shaved Tokyo turnips, plucked calendula petals, fresh plucked dill, spring mix and torn romaine hearts.
I often dress my garden greens with good olive oil, lemon juice, salt and done. When I dress a simple salad with flavorful, fresh greens, I prefer to coat the greens – think letting the dressing hug the salad ingredients but not smother it.
Important tip: Get good quality extra virgin olive oil! You will taste the difference, and a little drizzle goes a long way.
To make the salad dressing, use 1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed into a bowl. Zest of 1/2 of a lemon. (Tip: you can sub the
lemon juice with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or a mix of the two if needed.) Add 3/4 the volume of the lemon juice in olive oil. So, if you have two tablespoons worth of juice, then add 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Salt to taste.
The surprising simplicity of this goes a long way with so many veggies! Simply add all your ingredients to the salad bowl, drizzle the dressing on top, and thoroughly toss until nice and coated. Now this is where you get your first taste. Grab a leaf or two out and taste the greens. Do you just taste lemon? Do you just taste oil? Can you taste the salt? What I am tasting for is the flavor of the good greens and herbs kissed with olive oil and hint of lemon with enough salt to come through.
Feel free to add fresh ground pepper, crumbled cheese, and any fresh veggies you have available! Some avocado slices would be a lovely addition. This simple salad is summer’s perfect pair with our refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Cheers.
-Chef Olan Cox
