Salad at my house growing up amounted to iceberg lettuce and Kraft Catalina or Thousand Islands dressing. Maybe a few slices of cucumber, tomato or celery found its way in there too on a good day. But then, I met my friend Martha Hunter. She was one of my best buddies growing up and I had the pleasure of playdates with her often, and of enjoying her mother Dorothy’s cooking. It was at her house that I was introduced to what real salad could be. It was another universe. This dressing is essentially Dorothy Hunter’s dressing. Over the years, I began swapping in paprika for celery seed, which I believe was her first choice. Either way, it’s an amazing and versatile dressing. If you want a lighter version, which is nice in the summer, go with the lemon instead of the balsamic vinegar and add some fresh tarragon.
Green House Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
1 clove garlic, chopped finely or crushed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, depending on how intense or light you like your dressing; all are delicious options)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons paprika or ½ teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon honey
½ inch freshly grated ginger (optional)
Salad
lettuce (green, red, Boston or a combination — arugula works in the mix too!)
radicchio
¼ red onion or 1 shallot, sliced finely (*optional or amount according to taste)
1 avocado, chopped in pieces
1 tomato or grape tomatoes (summer-ripened if possible; if it’s not a “real” tomato, don’t bother and count on the fresh lettuce and dressing to keep you happy; same goes for the avocado.)
Method
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar and set aside.
Wash and dry your lettuce(s). Prepare red onion, avocado and tomatoes and combine with lettuce.
If you’re making this salad and transporting it somewhere, put the chopped avocado, tomatoes and onion at the bottom of the salad bowl and cover with lettuce, but don’t dress the salad until right before you’re ready to eat.
Just before dining, toss your salad with the dressing but only use the amount of dressing that you like.
Note: the dressing keeps well, covered and in the fridge, for several days.
