You know when you follow a recipe for something new and at the end, it suggests serving with a ‘simple green salad’? This is that salad. I’m almost embarrassed to write about it, it’s just so simple, something I throw together without even thinking about. It isn’t something I weigh, use spoon or cup measures. There isn’t anything remarkable about it. Just leafy greens and cucumber tossed with a simple vinaigrette. But it amazes me how often when guests are over for dinner they ask what goes into it. I usually shrug my shoulders, say something like ‘oh, nothing really, just olive oil, vinegar and salt’, because that is how simple it is. But then I am asked ‘how much,’ ‘what vinegar,’ ‘what kind of oil’, as if there is some magic to it. But honestly, I use whatever I’ve got lying around, like I said, I don’t think about it, just toss by eye.
This is something I’ve grown up with, a constant companion to whatever my mother served, and something my family wouldn’t imagine dinner without. It’s a true palette cleanser at the end of the meal, crunchy and clean tasting with a slight twang of acidity that finishes the meal perfectly. But it’s too simple to write about, right?
Well, I was watching the news the other morning and saw a feature with Nigella Lawson who has recently launched her newest cookbook (note to self, must go out and buy to add to the collection) which apparently includes a recipe for making toast. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but apparently, there is a certain way she butters the toast (and adds a little Maldon salt) that turns a simple piece of bread into toasted buttery nirvana. Now, she was criticized in the past for posting a recipe for avocado on toast, so how she thought this bread with butter was going to go down I just don’t know. But maybe she’s onto something. Maybe it is these simple little tips that seem just too ridiculous to share that are most worthy of sharing. These simple recipes are the bread and butter of our meals. They make all the difference. Just like this simple green salad.
So, this is where it gets tricky because as I said, I never measure out anything when I make this salad. I use whatever greens I have lying around. My father preferred iceberg lettuce, it’s watery crisp flavour is exceptional with a good glug of olive oil and salt. I often use cos lettuce, which has a similar flavour, perhaps a little ‘greener’ in taste and a bit more robust in texture. I like to add baby rocket or spinach leaves for a little pepperiness, but they can be ommited. Butter lettuce would be good here too. I like my cucumber peeled, the skin is simply too strong here. Lately, I have added some sliced spring onions, purely because I had some that needed to be used, and they do add a nice mild pungent, yet sweet, kick. However, the idea is to not be too picky, just use nice fresh greens and nice crisp cucumber and you’re good to go.
Now the dressing is also a little tricky because it’s the kind of thing that goes in by eye. I have measured it all out in the recipe below, but I don’t expect you to start measuring out salad leaves, so use the recipe as a guide. Basically, you want almost double the amount of olive oil to vinegar, and a generous sprinkling of salt. That’s it. Sometimes I use extra virgin olive oil, often I don’t. I prefer white wine vinegar, but simple white vinegar is fine too (that’s what my mother used). Enough to coat the leaves without any pooling in the bottom of the bowl. Salt is important here, a good generous pinch is needed. I use good ol’ cooking salt most of the time, but go for the fancier Maldon salt if it makes you feel better. Like I said, this is simple, no bells and whistles, but it somehow just works.
Like any crisp salad, this must be dressed just before you serve or the leaves will lose all their fresh crispy texture and you’ll be left with a sad limp mess. For the same reason, any leftover salad doesn’t keep. Left for too long, the vinegar ends up pickling the greens and apart from being limp, the salad becomes acrid and bitter.
This simple green salad goes with just about anything. Meat, chicken, fish, pasta, I’ve even served it with curry. It is just so fresh and clean tasting it revives your tastebuds at the end of a meal, and is especially good at the end of a rich meal.
Use the recipe as a guide and go with whatever greens you like.
Simple Green Salad
Ingredients
1 head of Cos lettuce, roughly chopped
1 cup baby rocket leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt
Method
Place the greens into a large bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and toss to combine.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4 – 6
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