Seasonal Salad with Herb Vinaigrette
 
Recipe Courtesy Alice Waters

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar, or a combination
1 small garlic clove, peeled
Salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper
6 large handfuls salad greens, about 3/4 pound

Measure the vinegar into a small bowl. Crush the garlic clove and add it 
to the vinegar, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. After 10 minutes or so, 
whisk in the olive oil and a little freshly milled pepper. Taste and 
adjust the seasoning. Make the vinaigrette no more than a couple of 
hours before serving. 

Pick over the salad greens, discarding any tough outer leaves, or any 
that are wilted or blemished. (If you are using young head lettuces, 
trim the root ends with a sharp paring knife to free the leaves.) Fill a 
large basin with cold water and gently submerge the greens, allowing 
sand and grit to sink to the bottom. Lift the lettuces from the water 
and drain them in a colander, then dry them in a salad spinner. Wrap the 
leaves in clean cotton toweling and refrigerater in an airtight 
container. 

To serve, put the greens in a wide salad bowl and season with a small 
pinch of salt. Remove the garlic clove, whisk the vinaigrette, toss the 
greens lightly with just enough dressing to make the leaves glisten. 
(Your hands make the best salad-tossing tools.) Serve immediately with 
garlic toast or croutons.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy