Mixed Greens with Edible Flowers

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large salad spinner
• •Wide, shallow serving bowl or platter
• •Small jar with tight-fitting lid for vinaigrette

Instructions

1. 1

   Source your greens

   Go to the farmers market early, before the sun has wilted anything. Look for greens that stand upright, leaves with sheen, stems that snap rather than bend. Ask the farmer what was picked this morning. If butter lettuce is available, it should feel heavy for its size with tight, cupped leaves. Mâche is delicate and precious, with soft rosettes that bruise if you look at them wrong. Handle everything gently.

   Avoid greens displayed in full sun or sitting in water. Both are signs of produce trying to recover from stress.
2. 2

   Choose your flowers

   Edible flowers should come from sources you trust, never treated with pesticides. Farmers who grow them will know their names and tell you how they taste. Nasturtiums are peppery and bold. Violas are mild and sweet. Borage tastes faintly of cucumber. Calendula petals add color without much flavor. Select flowers that are newly opened, not drooping or browning at the edges. Their aliveness matters here.

   If you cannot find edible flowers at market, grow your own. Nasturtiums take eight weeks from seed. That is not so long to wait for something this beautiful.
3. 3

   Wash and dry with care

   Fill a large basin with very cold water. Submerge the greens gently and swish them once or twice. Lift them out and let them drain. Do not dump the water over the greens, which forces grit back onto the leaves. Repeat if the water is sandy. Dry the greens completely in a salad spinner, working in small batches. Wet leaves refuse to hold dressing.

4. 4

   Prepare the flowers

   Rinse flowers very gently under a thin stream of cold water, then lay them on a clean kitchen towel in a single layer. Do not spin them. Let them air dry while you make the vinaigrette. Remove the green sepals from violas if they seem tough. Nasturtiums can be used whole, petals and all. Pull calendula petals from their centers and scatter them loose.

5. 5

   Make the vinaigrette

   In a small jar, combine the minced shallot with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let this sit for five minutes. The acid softens the shallot's bite and draws out its sweetness. Add the mustard and shake to dissolve. Pour in the olive oil, seal the jar, and shake vigorously until the dressing looks creamy and emulsified. Taste it. Adjust the salt. The dressing should be bright but not puckering, rich but not heavy.

6. 6

   Compose the salad

   Place the dry greens and herbs in your largest, widest bowl. You need room to toss without crushing. Drizzle just enough vinaigrette to barely coat, about two tablespoons to start. Toss with your hands, lifting from the bottom, turning gently. Add more dressing only if needed. The leaves should glisten, not drip. Season with flaky salt and a few grinds of pepper.

   Your hands are the best tools for a salad this delicate. Tongs bruise tender leaves.
7. 7

   Add flowers and serve immediately

   Transfer the dressed greens to a wide serving platter or individual plates. Scatter the flowers across the top, tucking some into the greens and letting others rest on the surface where they will catch the light. Do not toss the flowers into the salad. They are fragile and will tear. Serve within moments. A salad like this waits for no one.

Chef Tips

• •Buy greens from farmers you know by name, or at least by farm. Ask them what is freshest. They will tell you the truth.
• •Store unwashed greens wrapped loosely in a damp towel inside an open plastic bag. They will hold for a day or two, but truly fresh greens are always better used quickly.
• •The ratio of oil to vinegar here is gentle, almost four to one. Delicate greens cannot stand up to an aggressive dressing. If you like more acid, use your restraint anyway.
• •In winter, when edible flowers are scarce, scatter pomegranate seeds or shaved fennel instead. The salad changes with the season, as it should.
• •Leftover vinaigrette keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Shake it vigorously before each use.

Advance Preparation

• •Greens can be washed and dried up to four hours ahead, then stored wrapped in a clean towel in the refrigerator.
• •Vinaigrette can be made earlier in the day and left at room temperature. Shake before using.
• •Flowers should be prepared no more than an hour ahead. Keep them on a towel-lined plate, loosely covered, in a cool spot.
• •The salad itself cannot be dressed ahead. Once oil touches these leaves, you have minutes before they wilt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 70g)