 A former colleague sent me a text last week saying that Michael Ondaatje’s poem, Notes For The Legend of Salad Woman could be written about me. The sentiment was soft and green and healing. Since my wife was born she must have eaten the equivalent of two-thirds of the original garden of Eden. Not the dripping lush fruit or the meat in the ribs of animals but the green salad gardens of that place.[1] My mother understood the light nature of the ingredients in what Escoffier categorizes as a simple salad. There was lots of room for tossing in her buttery rosewood bowl. Lesson One: Do not crowd the ingredients. I loved her Caesar salad from when I was little — it’s a race-to-the-table memory. As a young cook, I worked in a station called larder — the British version of the French garde manger. I made sausages and terrines, pickled and dried vegetables, and managed the cheese under supervision. I turned local tender greens into towering structures to test the steady hands of runners. Salad requires the same finesse as an omelette. It’s a good first exam for a new cook — it can be massacred by a lad who shellacs it with dressing and tosses it like a Thai masseuse, so it arrives at the table on life support. The contents of your crisper interests me. I can step into most kitchens and make something original or classic. I’ve made fantastic salads for staff meal. That’s what inspired the text message. There’s a reel circulating on social media of clips of Werner Herzog saying read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read. *laughing* Think of me saying salad, salad, salad, salad, salad, salad, salad. [1] Ondaatje, Michael. “Rat Jelly.” (Toronto: Coach House Press, 1973). p. 18. https://archive.org/details/ratjelly0000onda_h9v3/mode/2up *** One of my standard vinaigrettes is made with apple cider vinegar, a hint of garlic and Dijon mustard, unpasteurized honey, salt and MSG, and avocado oil. It’s good with fruit, cheese, or nut garnishes. Also, squash and farro. The best apple cider vinegar in Ontario comes from Niagara Vinegar Co. It smells like a bushel of picked fruit. I tossed the Ontario French beans, tomatoes, and corn above with it — what Escoffier calls a composed salad. A Japanese-inspired dressing in the small dish in the image on the left might call for a visit to a specialty grocery store for ingredients. No great hardship. Combine Goma sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, enough ginger to make it bright, one small clove of garlic, a few drops of sesame oil and shoyu and shio koji. I’ve made variations with lime zest and juice and imagine it would be delicious with Calamansi or Yuzu juice. Lesson Two: A well-made dressing always wakes the palate up. Green Onion-Yogurt Dressing. *** There's always a day in September when my heart sinks over disappearing tastes and early sunsets. I still listen to this Leon Bridge’s album like it was released last week. It’s a perfect match with a low sun on a late afternoon walk. 2024Comments are closed.
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