From the Garden to the Kitchen with Red Wagon Plants
Julie Rubaud
Julie Rubaud, owner of Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg, knows a thing or two about growing and using herbs and salad greens. Each spring and summer, her greenhouses are bursting to the seams with fresh herb and vegetable starts that she delivers daily to City Market.
Getting ready for the 2012 season!
“I eat a whole plate of fresh salad after every meal. That’s as close to religion as I’ve ever gotten,” she says with a wink, referencing her French upbringing. She is also a huge fan of herb salads, which are a staple in her house. In the winter, parsley salad graces her table every week, served on roasted roots, aside fish or chicken, on sandwiches, or stirred into soup. In the summer, it’s time for cilantro salad (and a delicious mango variation), which finds its way into burritos, fish tacos, mixed with fresh coleslaw, or served with something from the grill.
“It’s about your ingredients, not your gadgets. Anyone can make a great-tasting salad with a few simple ingredients. All you need is a good knife, a cutting board, and a salad spinner.” Lacking a salad spinner, she says to keep a stack of large, clean bath towels in the kitchen to gently dry lettuce and herbs. If you’re not using them right away, store them washed and dried in the fridge in a produce bag or container with lots of airflow. Make fresh salad dressings from scratch, right in the salad bowl or in a glass mason jar you shake.
I took notes on more tips she dispensed while preparing simple, flavorful salads during our recent herb and salad class at City Market.
You can learn more about herbs at City Market’s upcoming Herb Day celebration on Saturday, May 5th from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. We’ll be making and sampling Julie’s cilantro salad with fresh mango from 12-2 p.m.
Growing:
Now is the time to be putting cool-weather herbs in the ground, like parsley and chives. New starts are arriving all the time from Red Wagon Plants.
If you’ve overwintered your rosemary indoors, consider bringing it outdoors soon. Or, if you’ve never had luck with rosemary as a houseplant in the window, try this: Recreate a cool, foggy California winter by putting it in a not-too-sunny spot, around 55-60 degrees, and misting it daily with water.
Put mint in a problem area in a garden, like along the driveway – it’s the only herb that outcompetes grass!
Storing:
For woody-stemmed Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, oregano, marjoram, sage, and thyme, store them in an open wicker basket in a dry area indoors, or place handfuls of them in a paper bag for longer storage.
For fresh, leafy herbs like parsley and cilantro, wash and spin in a salad spinner or pat dry with a large bath towel and store loosely in a Tupperware container or in a clean, plastic bag (loosely closed) in the fridge.
Tips for Preparing a Great Salad:
Keep it simple and fresh. French women don’t add vegetables to their salad: Just some fresh lettuce or mesclun with a simple vinaigrette crowns the meal.
Rub the inside of the salad bowl with a garlic clove for a subtle garlic flavor that is not too overpowering.
Make salad dressing right in the bowl by placing Dijon mustard in the bowl, then a little vinegar, salt, and finally olive oil and whisking it together. Taste to adjust seasoning, and then add salad greens.
If you’re using shallots or other alliums (garlic, scallions, red onion, etc.) in your salad dressing, allow them to sit in the vinegar for 15-20 minutes to soften their “bite” before adding the oil.
A little sugar or honey at the end can cut the sharpness of salad dressing dramatically.