WELCOME TO SALAD STUFF!

A love letter to salads and all the stuff I use to make them.

Hi friends!

Welcome to Salad Stuff. When I was a kid, growing up in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, my French mom insisted that salad be part of every meal. Many of my early memories around our dinner table were about fighting with my brothers over who could use their last bites of baguette to sop up the leftover dressing from the salad bowl. As I got older, my parents would call home from work to ask whether we had “salad stuff,” or, in the mornings they’d remind us to “grab some salad stuff” from the market on our way home from school. Now, ‘salad stuff’ is a catchall phrase my family uses for the items you need to make a salad.

Here, I’ll be sharing easy recipes, my favorite restaurant salads, and all the tools I use to make my salads. And, sometimes, some other random stuff just for funsies.

In a crowded field of salad Substacks, mine offers something different. Everything I recommend will be a relatively low-lift, and will focus on improving your DIY salad-making and salad-eating experience. I am not a writer, or a recipe developer, but I do love salads. I’m always the designated salad-maker at home, for potlucks, and on group vacations.

The first installment of Salad Stuff is my ride-or-die salad. My truest expression of salad perfection. The one my husband takes for granted, and the salad most of my friends and family request of me.

But first…

If you want to make your salad life easier, here are a few key tools:

1. Salad spinner- You gotta wash and dry your lettuce! dry greens = better dressing coverage and wet salad is a major bummer.

2. Vegetable peeler- Any will do, but this is my fave!

3. Handheld mandoline - Don’t be scared! Thin slicing is key.

4. A big bowl- Essential for proper mixing. Why not make it cute?

5. An empty jar- Easiest way to shake up dressing.

HERBY SALAD RECIPE-She’s delicious, versatile and can adapt to whatever you have in the fridge. The secret: lots of herbs, but mostly tarragon.

Washing/Drying lettuce is annoying, but in my experience, it takes exactly the length of this Celine Dion song to do pretty effectively. That said, if pre-washed lettuce works best for you, I support you!

Here’s the breakdown of the mix going in your bowl. I’ve put an asterisk next to my favorites from columns A & B. For crunch go with as many as you have! Let your herb usage run free, but tarragon is key!

Dressing:

1 shallot- Finely diced

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard- Maille is widely available and perfect! Please do not use grey poupon, I beg you!

2/3 cups Olive Oil- any good tasting olive oil you love :)

a drop of maple syrup

1 heaping tsp of salt- Maldon or Fleur de sel if you have.

Add diced shallot and vinegar to your jar and let sit at least 10 minutes. Add mustard & maple syrup, close jar and shake. Add olive oil and salt, close and shake until all ingredients are combined and vinaigrette has emulsified.

*a few other things I love to add when i have them on-hand: microgreens, grated carrot, hearts of palm, avocado, raw corn cut off the cob, beets, raw zucchini, finely sliced sugar snap peas.

Oh, one more thing-I’m a green salad purist and in this context feel like tomatoes ruin my good time. But follow your heart!

Live, laugh, salad!

xx

Emilie