Many home cooks perceive salad greens to be fragile, which is why they often opt for sturdier—but less flavorful—iceberg, green leaf and romaine lettuces. But even the most delicate greens, bought soon after picking, will last much, much longer than a head lettuce that’s been on a truck for two weeks. As food writer and “bean queen” Elizabeth Berry once said, “Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.”
There are a few simple ways to prevent or slow the deterioration of greens. First, choose the freshest you can find—they begin to lose moisture and integrity as soon as they’re picked, so those found at farmers’ markets are invariably best. If you’ve bypassed shipping, then it’s a shame to let greens get mashed when you transport them—simply blowing a puff of air into and then knotting their plastic bag can protect them. Don’t wash them until just before using. When you do, place them in a spinner, dunk them in cold water two or three times, and spin dry—get them as dry as possible so as not to dilute the dressing. Slice the leaves with a sharp knife rather than tearing, which puts pressure on fragile cells. If the greens have wilted, dunking them into an ice water bath can plump them right back up and revive their glow. And don’t dress them until immediately before serving. Oils can permeate the leaves and cause them to collapse. Water-based dressings don’t have this effect but can still weigh the leaves down. Even lemon juice can be hard on tiny microgreens.
Why not mix things up even more? Americans typically start a meal with a salad, whereas Europeans eat salad at the end, as a palate cleanser. There’s nothing effete about it: Some of the pungent compounds in lettuces combine with others to create odorless molecules, literally freshening the breath.
So go forth and try something new. Freshness is always a good thing.
Microgreen and fresh herb salad
THE GREENS
About 1⁄2 cup of each:
radish sprouts
purple radish sprouts
baby ruby Swiss chard
parsley
cilantro
chives
tarragon
GARNISH
apples
THE DRESSING (IF ANY)
olive oil or tangerine oil
Slice, cube or melonball apples and dip in lemon juice (to prevent browning).
Gently toss the greens together and arrange on individual plates. Garnish with apple pieces. Drizzle with a small amount of oil just before serving.
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