Preparing Salad Greens

Keep in mind that virtually all salad greens are fragile. If handled roughly, they crack in such a way that the vinaigrette gets into the leaves and makes them soggy. On the other hand, there is nothing worse than a sandy salad, so it’s important to be thorough. Fill a large bowl with cold water, add the greens, and let them sit for a few minutes. Then, with your fingers splayed, lift them out and put them into an empty bowl. Feel the bottom of the first bowl. If there is sand, rinse it out, replace the water, and soak the leaves again. Two soakings is usually enough, but some greens—arugula is often a culprit—require three.