How to Make a Spring Salad

Spring is the time of year when young salad greens are at their peak. Take advantage of the best of these greens in a simple, but delicious salad. Since these greens are to take center stage, little accompaniment is necessary and a simple vinaigrette backs up the complex flavors of greens like arugula, sorrel and frisee.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Knives
• Salad tongs
• Large salad bowl
• Paper towels
• Dry towel or salad spinner
• Medium-sized bowl
• Above ingredients
• 1 lb. variety of young spring greens; try to find mustard greens, spinach, arugula, watercress, frisee and others
• ¼ lb. young radishes
• ¼ lb. young button mushrooms
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. shallots
• 3 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash the salad greens and radishes well to remove any sandiness. Dry the greens with a dry towel or a salad spinner.
2. Tear the larger leaves into two or three different pieces if some of the leaves are larger than others. (The greens should be fairly small already.)
3. Wipe down the tops of the mushrooms using a damp paper towel. Cut off the very bottom of the stem and discard.
4. Cut the mushrooms into ¼-inch thick slices and set aside.
5. Trim the hairy end and green top off the radishes. Slice the radishes into ¼-inch thick slices and set aside.
6. Peel the papery layers off the shallot and discard. Finely mince the amount you need for the recipe. The minced shallot should not have pieces larger than ¼-inch in size.
7. Add the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice and shallots in a medium-sized bowl. Thoroughly mix the vinaigrette ingredients until they are completely incorporated together.
8. Add salt and pepper to the vinaigrette to taste. If you like a more vinegar flavor, add more vinegar as you wish.
9. Add your salad greens, radishes, mushrooms and pine nuts in a large bowl.
10. Toss the salad gently so all the ingredients are evenly distributed, using salad tongs or your hands.
11. Give each person eating a small bowl filled with a portion of the vinaigrette. This way everyone has just the right amount of dressing and the salad left in the bowl doesn’t drown.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have one, use an un-varnished wooden salad bowl to toss the salad in.