Simplifying salad

How — and when — do you like your fresh greens?

By Kim Carlson

October 25, 2007

Lesley Porcelli, an editor at Gourmet, has a simple suggestion for a tasty salad. Her secret? Olive oil, salt, pepper, and — well, that’s it. No lemon. No vinegar. No mustard. No garlic . . .

Of course, it probably helps if you use really good olive oil, and really, really good salt, but the greens? “This ‘dressing’ is just as good on heads of Romaine from the corner bodega that have seen better days as it is on the $8-a-pound purslane from the farmers’ market,” writes Porcelli.

Will you take Lesley Porcelli’s advice?

And another salad question: In our extended family, salad eaters fall into two camps — those who eat salad before or with the main course, and those who eat salad afterwards. I’m in the latter category. What about you? Salad first, or salad later?