Remembrance Farm Greens

The best salad greens around are grown by Nathaniel Thompson of Remembrance Farm in Trumansburg, NY. Today, we bought our first bag of Organic Field Greens this season at GreenStar and eagerly rushed home to dig in. I can't name the full array of greens that go into this mix, but the combination is pleasing on many levels. On the plate, they are visually stunning, with leaves of various shapes, sizes, and colors; the variegated red and green ones are particularly attractive. Always impeccably fresh, dry, and whole, the leaves are so delicate that they melt in your mouth like tissue paper. But they are far from insubstantial because of their gutsy, earthy, spicy flavor. Actually, they have much more than just "flavor"; they have a presence, evoking the richness of the soil, tempered by the care and refinement in the grower's craft.

These greens are delicious on their own, or with the barest coating of a simple dressing and a slice of pumpernickel. I like to use a honey, mustard, and garlic dressing made of

• 2 cloves pressed garlic
  
• 1 T honey
  
• 2 T mustard (my current favorite is the maple Dijon mustard from Merle Maple Farm in Attica, NY, available at the Cornell Orchards)
  
• 2 T lemon juice or rice wine vinegar
  
• 5 or more T extra virgin olive oil
  
• Large pinch of salt or 1-2 tsp soy sauce
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

Of course, I tweak these quantities according to the whim of the moment. All the ingredients go in a screw-top jar and are combined with vigorous shaking.

Incidentally, Nathaniel also has a Spirit and Kitsch connection: his significant other is the multi-talented member artist Emily "Chair" Hurst, who is a chair therapist and is also half of the vocal duo Glass of Water. So, his greens have deep roots in the Ithaca area, and by eating them, you become connected with the community at large.