I think that the most important elements of a good salad are top quality ingredients. I usually make simple salads, made with a mixture of fresh mixed greens, preferably locally grown. In the summer, I go to the farmer’s market or a farmstand, or sometimes grow my own, though I do not have much of a green thumb. Luckily, I am also able to find local salad greens in the winter at a food store I go to that tends to have really good produce. The farm that produces these greens must have a greenhouse. The salads that result from them are delicious. For this salad, I sectioned a couple of grapefruit and removed as much of the pith and seeds as possible, then cut each section into thirds. For the dressing, the key is to use the best quality vinegar you can find. There is a huge difference between cheap vinegar and high quality vinegar. If you don’t believe me, give yourself a blind taste test between a few different price levels and see for yourself! If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, try to find a store that has a nice selection of gourmet vinegars and look for something that seems similar to the Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar that I specify below.
Salad Greens
2 grapefruit
dressing:
1 shallot, chopped
¼ cup Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (I got some from Trader Joe’s)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Put chopped shallots, oil and vinegar into a jar, cover and shake. Pour over salad greens that have been tossed with grapefruit and toss some more.