Misticanza - A Simple Italian Salad of Mixed Greens

Without a doubt vibrant fresh salads define the summer season. Baby leaf vegetables brought from the field directly to the table, simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil sprinkled with sea salt, red tious wine vinegar and sometimes with lemon. In Italy they would call this leafy mix misticanza from an expression for a traditionally field-based dish of mixed greens. Colorful and nutritious tufts of baby lettuces and eye-appealing leafy greens and herbs casually combine to make a delicious salad that can be brought to the table with hardly any effort at all. At its peak misticanza is often served as a piatto unico (only dish) with bruschetta but misticanza is also sought-after in the colder weather as a side dish to accompany meat or fish dishes in the winter months.

In Italy the seeds used to plant misticanza can include between 4 to14 lettuce varieties creating a well-balanced mix combined with spicy rocket, baby spinach, endives and radicchio. Sometimes mustard greens, Italian dandelion (chicory greens) or erba stella (star grass) are added for a rustic foraged feel. A traditional misticanza can be slightly assertive so if it tastes too strong-flavored add some additional lettuces to mellow the mix. Most markets carry packages of mixed baby lettuces (mesclun) or misticanza-like salad mixes year around. You can add varieties of greens depending on what's available. Freshness is important in preparing a misticanza so avoid or discard any wilted, discolored or damaged greens.

A popular version to try is Misticanza di Firenze (Florentine Mixed Greens). More than a green salad, depending on the time of year, this misticanza can have as many as sixteen varieties of greens including different varieties of baby lettuce, arugula, celery leaves, chicory, dandelion, chard, escarole, mache, romaine, kale, spinach, watercress and small turnip, beet, and radish tops. Herbs like basil, borage, chives, parsley, lovage, mint and fennel can be added to the mix if desired.

For a first course, use about 2 loosely packed cups of mixed greens per person as seen in this recipe adapted from the Autentico cookbook by Rolando Beramendi. Serves 6.

A word about olive oil and vinegar when making a misticanza. The oil must be extra virgin and the vinegar made from a good wine. Use the best you can find as they are essential to the overall balance of the salad using an old Italian proverb to guide you.

Which loosely translated, means “to properly dress a salad, you need a miser to add the vinegar, a judge to add the salt and a spendthrift to add the oil". Be sure to adjust to taste to ensure that the dressing complements the greens. This generally means in a ratio of 2:3 ( 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts oil) or 3:1 (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar) adding just enough dressing to coat the leaves.

• 12 cups loosely packed mixed greens

• Pojer e Sandri Red Wine Vinegar

• Capezzana Freshly Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• sea salt and crushed black peppercorns

Thoroughly wash and dry greens. Gently tear the greens into bite size pieces and place in a large serving bowl. The traditional way would be to drizzle in red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. However you can mix the oil, vinegar and seasonings separately and add to lightly coat the greens. Toss the salad well and serve.

Misticanza is also called an Insulata Misti. It can be garnished with shavings of hard Italian cheese (sheep's milk pecorino or parmiaggiano). There are many variations of this salad adding apples, pears, figs, goat cheese and nuts with various dressings. You can be as creative as you like adding other vegetables like green beans.