Aside from its beauty, what was especially great about this salad was the ease with which guests could compose their own individual plates, picking and choosing whatever appealed to them. And this one’s a wonder for the cook, too, because there are no rules here: just work with the ingredients you have on hand, being sure to pull in a few different colors. With the veggies pre-dressed, all that’s required to make this dish a hit with your guests is a fork and an appetite.
Method:
3-4 bunches of various lettuces (for example, arugula, curly endive, butterhead and mixed herbs), rinsed and dried
4 large beets, roasted, peeled and roughly cut
5 heirloom tomatoes, thickly sliced
3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
5 large radishes, trimmed and sliced into coins, chunks or matchsticks
For the mustard-shallot vinaigrette:
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tbl. or more of fresh lemon juice
2 tbl. shallots, peeled and minced
¼ c. or so of extra virgin olive oil
Add the first three ingredients to a mixing bowl and hit them with a bit of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. While whisking, drizzle in the oil until nicely combined. Run a lettuce leaf through the dressing, taste, and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
To serve:
Hit the lettuces with just a bit of coarse salt and a few drops of olive oil; toss to coat. Hit the plated vegetables with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and lightly dress them with the mustard-shallot dressing.
