Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

From the garden

• 12 cups tender salad greens (lettuce, arugula, or young spinach), washed and dried very well · a mix of soft and peppery leaves is best
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp soft herbs (chives, parsley, dill, or mint), chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 tbsp olive oil · use a fruity one; it is most of the flavor here
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Wash the greens in a deep bowl of cold water, lifting them out so the grit stays behind, then dry them thoroughly in a spinner or a clean towel. Wet leaves cannot hold dressing, which is the usual reason a green salad tastes of nothing.
2. Mince the shallot straight into the bottom of a wide salad bowl, add the vinegar and a good pinch of salt, and leave it 10 minutes to soften its raw bite.
3. Whisk in the Dijon, then add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing turns creamy and clings to the whisk. Taste it on a single leaf and adjust the salt or the vinegar.
4. Cross the salad servers over the dressing and pile the dry greens on top, so nothing touches the vinaigrette until everyone sits down.
5. Toss at the table, about twenty turns, until every leaf is glossed and no dressing pools at the bottom. Grind over black pepper, scatter the herbs, and serve at once.