Monday, May 9, 2011

Insalata di Lettughe Misti e Coppa


I was walking through the farmer's market this past weekend and stumbled upon a vendor that had some of the most beautiful and flavorful lettuces. I decided to grab some different kinds to use. The great thing about these kinds of greens is that you can eat them raw or cooked, and they still pack a punch with flavor. In this application, I have used several different varieties in a super simple salad that again reflects the beauty and simplicity of Italian cooking.

TT = to taste

Serves 4

-1/2 bunch Yellow Mustard Greens
-1/2 bunch Red Mustard Greens
-1/2 bunch Mizuna Greens
-12 to 20 slices of Coppa, super thin(The coppa I have used is homemade, yet you can find plenty of decent coppa at the store. "Columbus" makes a decent coppa. You can substitute a different kind of salumi if you can't find coppa.)
-1 Lemon, juiced
-1/4 cup, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, best possible quality
-TT Maldon Salt or Fleur de Sel
-TT Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with vegetable peeler for garnish

Method:
Cut greens in to smaller leafy pieces
Put greens in mixing bowl
Add lemon juice and the olive oil and toss
Season with salt and pepper
Arrange the coppa on 4 separate plates in a random fashion
Mound the greens in little pockets in the empty spaces on the plate(I like to keep the greens separate so you can taste their different personalities, yet you can mix them together if you want).
Garnish with the shaved parmigiano reggiano and a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serve immediately