Cool Tip: Make Salad like the French...

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I have salad envy; specifically French salad envy.  You can go into any little bistro in Paris and get a salad that is simple, beautiful, light and delicate.  And try as I might, I couldn't reproduce that at home.  Now of course the greens are an issue, but you should be able to get good greens from a good green grocer, a farmer's market or your own garden.  The elusive element has always been the dressing.  Even with the best olive oil and vinegar, mine never tasted the same.

Well the other day we were making dinner, and Kennedy said, "Can you dress the salad?"  I said sure, and was in a hurry, didn't want to take out a measuring cup, a whisk and the other accroutrements to make a proper emulsion.  So instead, I sprinkled about 3 tablespoons of oil on the greens (using the oil can at right made it easier), added some salt and tossed it, then I added about 1 tablespoon of vinegar and tossed again.  And to my amazement, the result was very similar to the salads I love in France.

So my Cool Tip for today is: you don't need to make an emulsion to make a great salad.  Just keep the approximate proportions of 3:1 oil to vinegar and have at it. And don't forget the salt!

Enjoy!