thefoodlessprocessed

“Good olive oil (…”Extra-Vierge”)…has been extracted from healthy, ripe olives by purely mechanical means with no application of heat or intervention of chemicals…The light-bodied, lightly colored vegetable oils, extracted from a variety of seeds–peanut, corn, sunflower, grape, etc.–do not usually taste bad. Some have a vaguely bitter aftertaste, but most have no taste at all. They do, however, “feel” bad in the mouth and their lack of taste is disconcerting–nor is it particularly comforting to know that most of them have been submitted to a series of violent chemical treatments (the addition of solvents for the extraction of the oil, the addition of other chemicals to neutralize the effects of the solvents and render the oil odorless and colorless–and finally, for most, a further treatment designed to give a yellowish tone to the emasculated product.” (Richard Olney from Simple French Food (1974).

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“…indeed, one need not often respect any of the endless and precisely defined classical recipes for composed salads…how much more valuable and exciting is the imaginative and playful…invention of a…composed salad, never once repeated, its composition dictated by the materials at hand.” (Richard Olney from Simple French Food (1974).

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“MACERATE: To soak raw foods in liquid…so that they absorb the flavour of the liquid.” from Laruousse Gastronomique (2009 edition).

A salade canaille is not a fixed recipe, but a framework around which many different salads may be built. Describing a salad as canaille implicitly suggests, “Go your own way.”

The ingredients in a tossed salad are generally combined together and mixed all at once with a dressing. A composed salad may be thought of as a selection of elements drawn from four distinct categories, deliberately juxtaposed rather than mixed. The categories are often organised around a heavy base, such as meat, cheese, fish, or legumes. But a composed salad such as described below may instead be structured around treatment. Some parts are macerated or seasoned in advance, others at the last minute, and the vinaigrette and choice of herbs will complement both. Making a salade canaille relies on imagination and experimentation. The ingredients may come from what is at hand or from what suggests itself in a market.

This version is a basic combination, including an example from each category and illustrating how they are brought together. A spare combination of greens and vegetables of good quality is a good starting point for making canaille salads.

The less processed ingredients are: Butterhead Lettuce, Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Olive Oil, and Thyme.

Equipment

• a large-ish Bowl for dressing the Greens
• Separate Bowls of suitable size for each vegetable that will be macerated
• a Mortar and Pestle or a Wooden Spoon and Small Bowl
• a Glass Jar for the Vinaigrette
• a Salad Plate for each serving

Ingredients

Note: Amounts of greens and vegetables depend on the number of individual salads.

• Category 1: LEAFY GREENS: Pesticide-Free Butterhead Lettuce: A couple of different greens (and there are many to try) is anothr option.
• Category 2: VEGETABLES: Heirloom Tomatoes: A few other vegetables improved by maceration include cucumbers, radishes, bell pepper, different varieties of mushrooms and zucchini.
• Category 3: THE VINAIGRETTE: 1/2 Cup (120 ml) of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon of Red Wine Vinegar (or a bit more if, after standing for 30 minutes, the vinegar in the mix is not pronounced enough for your taste), 1/4 teaspoon of Coarse Black Pepper, 1 Small Clove of Garlic
• Category 4: HERBS AND AROMATICS: A Number of Stems of Organic Fresh Thyme: A grocery store’s selection of fresh herbs is often quite varied. They are packaged in small boxes that lend themselves to sampling new flavours and combinations.

Making the Vinaigrette

Note: Salt is not included in the vinaigrette. The vegetables will absorb the flavour of the vinaigrette without it. Salt can then be added to individual salads at the table and to each person’s preference.

• Slice the garlic clove very finely, add it to the mortar with the coarse black pepper and mash it to a paste with the pestle. Alternatively, the garlic and pepper may be mashed together in a small bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon.
• Combine the olive oil, the garlic paste, the vinegar and the leaves stripped from a stem of the thyme in a glass jar and shake it well. Leave it to stand for 30 minutes. Taste it and add a little more vinegar to give the vinaigrette a sharper flavour if you prefer.
• Cube the tomato and place it in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add the leaves stripped from a stem of thyme to the tomatoes. Macerate them at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, tear the lettuce into the large bowl and use your hands to coat the leaves with the vinaigrette. Judge by the feel of the leaves when they are all lightly and evenly dressed.

Assembling the Salads and Serving Them

• Compose the salads on individual plates.
• Using your hands, place some of the dressed lettuce leaves on each plate as a bed for the cubed tomato.
• Arrange the macerated tomatoes over the lettuce in an attractive manner.
• Place a small stem of fresh thyme on each salad.