Choosing the Greens

In recent years, ready-made combinations of greens are often sold as mesclun mix. The word mesclun (pronounced mis-kla with the “a" pronounced as in “and") comes from the Proven-gal tradition of assembling salads from wild greens. Unfortunately, the makers of many of these contemporary mixes have gotten carried away, including such a dizzying assortment of greens that the mix ends up tasting too much like generic weeds. It is far wiser to select a few perfect greens and make your own combination, or simply to limit your green salads to a single green. A salad of perfect hearts of romaine is far more appealing than a profusion of unrecognizable leaves.