Archive for February 1st, 2009

I think several components make up a great salad.

• Texture,
• Color,
• Dressing,
• Flavors

The flavors of the different components need to “meld” and “mesh” well together. A dressing can make a salad of simple greens, or overwhelm a more complex, composed salad. Variety of color and texture is important, too.

This salad was composed of:

• Organic green lettuces,
• Sweet, mini tomatoes with basil,
• Mozzarella cheese,
• Peppery croutons,
• French-style vinaigrette

The dressing here for me elevated the other ingredients and pulled things together. I call it “French style” because it was based on the simple idea of a plain vinegar, a touch of garlicky mustard (in this case a combination of garlic mayo and Dijon-style mustard), EVOO, salt, pepper, and a dash of water.

Delicious.