Very simple salad, with the same ingredients that you use for your oil and vinegar dressing.
The difference is when and how you add and mix ingredients.

It tastes entirely different than if you mix everything in one step.

This one yas three layers of taste. You can taste fresh, "undressed" vegetables, vegetables with spices, vegetables with spices and Olive oil, and finally, the four stage salad. All these different tastes are there, but, you can taste one on top of the others, distinct and clear.
Learned this from Grandma Sophie Puzelli of Brooklyn New york, previously from Catanzaro, Calabria, Itlia.


Mixing should be done in a "coverable" bowl that you can cover, pick up and shake without the cover coming off.

I just use lettuce and sliced cucumber, but you can put whatever vegetables you want into it.

Mix and wash all the vegetables togethr, then drain thoroughly.

"Smash" one clove of fresh garlic by putting it on the cutting board and whacking it with a knife or cleaver. Then mince it into very small pieces. If this is too much trouble, use store bought minced garlic. about the same volume as a single clove.
Put the garlic, salt and some oregano to suit your taste. NO OTHER SPICES. NO PARSELEY, PEPPER, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Cover the vegetables nd spices tightly, pick up the bowl and shakle like hell, and/or mix thoroughly.

third step, AFTER THE SPICES AND VEGETABLES ARE COMPLETELY MIXED.

Uncover and add Extra Virgin Olive oil, whatever amount you are used to using. COVER AGAIN,.PICK IT UP AND SHAKE LIKE HELL AND/OR MIX THOROUGHLY SO THAT THE OLIVE OIL COMPLETELY COVERS ALL THE FRESH VEGETABLES. This seals what you've already mixed and prevents the vinegar from changing the vegetables, as vinegar ususally does. Now you've got fresh vegetables, with spices, covered with olive oil.

NOW ADD THE VINEGAR. COVER IT. , PICK IT UP AND SHAKE LIKE HELL, AND/OR MIX THOROUGHLY. Now taste it.

IOsn't this a whole lot better than just mixing everythiong together.?

Sure it is. You have also locked all the vitamins and minerals into the vegetables. The vinegar can't mess up the veggies. (mostly)

I use red wine vinegar, but you can use balsamic if you prefer it.

Measure the vinegar as you add it. I measure two "capfulls" of vinegar, taste it and then go from there. Don't use too much vinegar. Don't make the salad "vinegar sour" Tell your guests or family ,"This is the way it is, if you want it different, go into the kitchen and get whatever poof and sludge you want and slop it, in whatever amounts you desire, on top of this beautiful salad that you intend to kill dead"

If you don't like it as much as your usual dresing, Don't bother. (of cours) In fcct forget I mentioned it and, go way. I'm not even in the mudcat cookbook. - Barbarian!!!.

Jody Gibson