Mesclun Mix
A delicious, fresh and zesty mix of salad leaves. The idea is to combine four basic flavor types through a careful mixing of greens: mild, bitter/tart, piquant, and pepper/spicy. For the mild component, a leaf lettuce will typically be included. For the piquant, perhaps mustard greens. For the bitter/tart flavor, either radicchio, escarole, mizuna, or curly endive. To round out the peppery/spicy component, usually included is either arugula or watercress. Other greens available for a mesclun mix include sorrel, parsley, basil, chive, fennel, purslane, dandelion green, chervil, and groundsel. Another reason to eat a variety of lettuces and greens is to be able to get an array of different phytonutrients, researchers are continually learning about different ways in which these flavonoids and pigments help prevent disease. Wash loose salad greens in water and swish them around with your hands, this enables any sand to become dislodged. Pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.