Salad greens in all their glory

Photo:Rob Corlett
Photo: Marion van Dijk
Once upon a time (and not that long ago), salad greens in New Zealand consisted of iceberg lettuce and maybe a little raw cabbage if you were adventurous.

As in so many other aspects of our cuisine, we have come of age when it comes to greens. We now know that lettuce doesn't have to be the only green in the salad bowl and the variety of greens available to us is stunning. Where do you begin?

Well, it's spring and salad greens are coming into their own in the garden. Lettuce and spinach and rocket that have languished in the cooler months take off and produce masses of succulent leaves just waiting to be picked, placed in a bowl and mixed with a deliciously crafted dressing to be a meal on its own or an accompaniment to just about any dish you can think of.

I can think of so many travelling experiences where I couldn't eat fresh salads because of concerns about water safety and how I crave raw greens. No wonder, as they are an indispensible part of a healthy diet; the more highly coloured, the greater the nutrient value.

Greens contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, folate, fibre and phytonutrients. These are chemicals that have beneficial effects on the body and can act as antioxidants. So make the most of the wonderful experience and sit down to a plate of mixed fresh greens with a perfectly made salad dressing.

There are a number of essential greens. All the varieties I discuss here can be bought at the top of the south, but not all as readily as if we lived in Auckland or Wellington. I think it is time that our markets were as diverse as those in the big cities.

In the meantime, grow them yourself – you don't need a lot of garden space. Pluck a bunch of leaves for a salad full of goodness and flavour.
Photo: Rob Corlett
Try making a salad with three different types of greens:

* A mild soft lettuce, like a red or green leaf lettuce, bib or boston.
* A crisp lettuce such as cos, or use spinach.
* A bitter green such as rocket or radicchio.

Most greens can be eaten whole or torn into bits. Occasionally, they can be sliced, depending on the recipe.

Always wash your greens thoroughly. An essential piece of equipment is a salad spinner – just as greens need to be washed, they also need to be dry for the dressing to adhere. The salad spinner stops the leaves from being bruised and dries them perfectly.

When it comes to dressings, the rule is: be generous.

Try making your dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl and then folding in the greens to coat them with the dressing. Always follow the 3:1 ratio – 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar or lemon/lime juice.
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Here are some ideas for ways with greens and dressings.

VINAIGRETTE

3 Tbsp of good-quality extra virgin olive oil (you can play around with the oils – try a little walnut oil or peanut oil along with the olive oil for extra flavour)

1 Tbsp of vinegar (for darker greens, use balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar; for lighter greens use wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, cider vinegar or lime/lemon juice)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt (Marlborough preferably)

Put the garlic and salt and pepper in the bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add the oil and mix, then add the vinegar or juice and mix well. Add the washed and dried greens and toss well to coat the leaves.

HONEY AND MUSTARD DRESSING

3 Tbsp of good-quality extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt (Marlborough preferably)

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

4 Tbsp of toasted pine nuts

Mix everything except the pine nuts in the salad bowl. Add baby spinach leaves, rocket, radicchio, cos lettuce leaves and lollo rosso. Add the toasted pine nuts. Fold everything together well.

CAESAR SALAD
Photo: Marion van Dijk
Nearly every cafe has a salad that they call a Caesar. I wish they would call it something else and refer only to the classic Caesar salad by that name. This is the recipe for it and once you have tried it, you will know that the other salads in cafes called Caesar salad are definitely something else. If you really, really don't like anchovies, substitute Worcestershire sauce, about a teaspoon or two.

For four people, use a medium to large cos lettuce. Wash it well and then spin dry.

Heat the oven to high. Slice four fat pieces of bread from a ciabatta loaf and then divide into crouton-sized pieces.

Sprinkle the base of a flat baking dish with some olive oil and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Spread the garlic around evenly and then add the croutons. Turn them to coat evenly. Place in the hot oven and cook until golden. Cool.

Dressing

In a large salad bowl, macerate a tsp of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, a clove of crushed garlic, one raw egg yolk (or a coddled egg yolk if preferred) and four anchovy fillets.

Add 4 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Beat until the ingredients are well combined and then add 3 Tbsp of grated parmesan cheese. The dressing will be thick and creamy.

Add the lettuce leaves to the dressing. If they are small, leave them whole. Throw in the croutons and then fold and toss thoroughly. Add some quartered anchovies if you really like them. Serve this salad by itself or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish.
Photo:Marion van Dijk
GOING GREEN

Varieties to form your fresh greens diet:

Head lettuce or iceberg lettuce. The traditional Kiwi lettuce is crisp and long-lasting with tightly packed leaves, and readily available everywhere when no other variety is in sight. There is nothing wrong with it as long as it isn't what you use all the time. Try using cos lettuce instead.

Cos lettuce (or romaine, as it is known in many parts of the world). It has great flavour and crunch. It is essential for making Caesar salad. Its leaves hold dressings very well. It is available in supermarkets at the top of the south from time to time. If more of us demanded it, we might get it more often. You can buy vacuum bags of pre washed and sorted cos lettuce but it often isn't fresh enough and then the product is inferior.

Leaf lettuce. The leaves are loosely gathered and the texture is generally soft. The colour can vary from purple red to dark and light green. The flavour is generally quite mild. These lettuces are often grown hydroponically and are freely available in supermarkets.

Curly endive or frisee. A crisp bitter green. The outer leaves are more bitter and the inner leaves more tender and mild. It has a very frilly outer edge that is quite coarse in texture. This is quite commonly available in the salad section of the supermarket and is not usually identified by name.

Bib or boston lettuce. Bib lettuce is smaller than a boston lettuce. The leaves are delicate and soft and it has a great flavour. It has a slightly denser form than a regular leaf lettuce and a nutty flavour.
Photo:Marion van Dijk
Lollo rosso. A red frilly-edged lettuce. The edges are coarser than a red leaf lettuce. The flavour is mild and tender. It is often available in supermarkets.

Mizuna. Sometimes called spider mustard. The leaves are tender and it has a mustard pepper flavour. It is a great addition to leaf lettuce for contrasting flavour and texture.

Endive, or witloof. The leaves are crunchy and a little bitter. They can be eaten both raw and cooked. They are available in specialty markets.

Radicchio, or red chicory. Fabulous visuals, crisp with a slightly bitter taste. It is delicious added to a soft green leaf lettuce for variety in texture, flavour and colour.

Rocket, or arugula. A fantastic addition to a salad. It provides the zing and the zap to a bowl full of lettuce leaves. It is peppery and a little bitter and is a great counterpoint. It combines very well with basil in mid-summer for a salad combination. It is readily available in supermarkets and grows really easily in the garden. It self-seeds and, once established, will appear all year round.

Spinach. Rich in iron and calcium. It can be eaten both raw and cooked. The leaves get tougher as the plant ages but soften once either vinegar or lemon juice is added to them.

Tat soi. Has leaves shaped like spoons. Crisp with a pepper taste.

Mesclun greens. This is a mixture of many of the leaves described and is found in bins at supermarkets or in vacuum-sealed bags. It often includes rocket, mizuna, frisee, red leaf lettuce, radicchio, tat soi and baby spinach.