Step 1 – Lay the foundation – A Basic leaf salad

The foundation of a salad is usually the ingredient that adds bulk.

Photograph: Sanat Tanna; Courtesy: Cafe Basillico

I usually begin with a mixture of leaf vegetables. About half of the leaf component would usually be lettuce for crunch, supplemented by generous helpings of healthier leafy greens.

Greens MUST be squeaky clean (there’s nothing like grit in the mouth to ruin a salad) and dry (or your salad will look unappetizing, limp and the vinaigrette will taste diluted).

You can spin leaves in a salad spinner or place them loosely in a container with holes and leave in the refrigerator for a while. Once you are into tossing regularly, clean larger amounts of greens and store them by lining an empty bowl with paper towels and layering greens interspersed with additional paper towels.

You can also store up to a week by rolling washed or unwashed greens (remove any bands or threads to avoid rotting) loosely in paper towels, place in a large zip lock bag and seal. Leave it in the vegetable tray, right on top.

Your basic Green Salad for two will require -

2 cups bulk leaves (lettuce or cabbage), washed and torn to bite-size pieces (with cabbage use raw thinner leaves and/or blanche leaves slightly or use shred

2 cups flavoured greens (some leafy greens tend to be bitter so taste and use stronger flavours sparingly). Pick from aragula, or local leaves like spinach, mustard greens, chowli, amaranths, gongura, and even methi.

To dress your leaf salad you will need 1 tbsp oil.

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive oil) is best for lettuce based salads but depending on the greens you use experiment with cold-pressed oils, for example locally available sesame or more exotic options like walnut or pistachio.

½ tbsp vinegar (white wine, red wine or balsamic) or 1 tsp lemon juice,

salt and freshly ground pepper

The salad how-to

This will sound fussy but it works.

Place your selections in a big bowl and pour a little oil onto your hands (begin with a tablespoon and increase if required), rub hands together to spread, then use oiled hands to gently pass leaves back and forth from hand to hand so your leaves will be lightly coated with the oil.

Then blend salt into the vinegar or fresh lemon juice (in a proportion of 1/3 the amount of oil) and fresh ground pepper. Add to bowl, toss well and serve. (Allow one good handful per portion as a starter or side dish, mound onto a plate).

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