A Mindful Salad

A Mindful Salad of Red Oak Leaf Lettuce, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Roasted Radishes, and Chervil

RECIPE AND PHOTO BY CHEF MARIO HERNANDEZ

Mario Hernandez created two short videos on water saving to go with this recipe. You can find them at the bottom of this page.

Mario Hernandez is a chef and coordinator for Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association’s Cookin’ the Market program, which offers cooking demos each week to help shoppers get the most out of the local, seasonal produce sold at the market. The drought inspired him to write this simple salad recipe, in which not a single drop of water was wasted in cooking, washing, and prepping.

3 eggs
1 head red oak leaf lettuce,
1 bunch white radishes with leaves
Chervil (tastes similar to anise) to taste
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Good quality vinegar
To hard-boil the eggs

You’ll save water and energy if you boil extra eggs for later use. Place eggs in a 2-quart saucepan with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Set on high heat and allow to come to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from hot water, peel, and cut into quarters. If you retain the egg-boiling water and let it cool, you can reuse it for washing the vegetables.

Wash veggies and save cleaning water

Place all vegetables and herbs in the basket of a salad spinner. Fill the spinner bowl with water and move vegetables around in water to wash. Lift the basket of cleaned veggies and set over a bowl to capture water that drains off. Return basket to spinner bowl and gently spin-dry the vegetables and herbs.

Keep a bucket in your kitchen to collect all water for use on your garden or houseplants.

To prepare radishes and their greens

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove the radish greens and place in a bowl. Cut radishes into quarters, add to the bowl. Season radishes and greens with salt and black pepper to taste and lightly toss with olive oil. Place radishes and greens on a parchment-covered pan and roast in preheated oven until radishes are slightly browned and greens are crisp.

Dress the greens

Place the dried lettuce leaves in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add vinegar to taste and coat lightly with olive oil.

Plate

Place the dressed greens on a chilled plate. Top with the quartered eggs, roasted radishes, radish tops, and chervil. Serve immediately.