Mesclun Straight from the Garden

Sweet. Bitter. Tender. Spicy. Perfect. All of these words can be used to describe the classic French salad greens known as mesclun. "Mesclun" literally means "mixture." Introduced to the U.S. about 20 years ago, this salad consists of a diverse mixture of sweet and spicy young lettuces and greens: arugula, oak leaf lettuces, endive, mache, radicchio, frisee and others. Each of the components of this salad contribute a unique taste and texture to the salad, resulting in a bracing combination of greens that is a perfect way to start a meal.

I have been growing this tasty mixture of greens in my small backyard garden for quite a few years now. If you have a sunny location on your property or even a large pot, mesclun is quite easily grown from seed. The Mesclun Classic Mix from Burpee (http://www.burpee.com/) is a nice, well-balanced mixture that we can plant here in Arizona in the fall and be harvesting greens by early December if the temperate weather holds out.

Tender salad greens such as mesclun prefer cool conditions, so they should be planted in the early spring in most parts of the country. In the Southwest or parts of the deep South, they can be planted in October. The greens should be harvested regularly to ensure steady production (this is not a problem for most of us).

Once you harvest a bowl of mesclun, the best way to dress the salad is really the simplest and lightest. Overloading these tender greens with a heavy ranch or similar dressing would be a mistake. A very simple French vinaigrette works well here.

A basic vinaigrette is about 2 or 3 parts olive oil to one part vinegar (white wine or red wine vinegar work well), or to taste. A small quantity of salt and pepper should first be dissolved in the vinegar before adding the oil in a steady stream while whisking. Adding about one teaspoon of good Dijon mustard to the vinegar before adding the oil adds a nice flavor and acts as an emulsifier, bringing everything together. You can make it fancy by adding some minced shallot or garlic, but this is not necessary.

Mesclun salad is a good example of why simple preparations of very fresh ingredients taste the best. Crisp, young greens right from your garden, dressed quickly with good olive oil and vinegar - it just doesn't get any better than this.