In French, lettuce is called “Salad” (pronounced: Salad).
And salad is called “Salade” in French too.
“Let us” talk about the classic salad in Provence.
After washing your salad, you leave the leaves alone. Please do not, and I repeat, do not cut them into bite-size pieces. Tear in half that is enough. Then, when you are at the table, watch everyone politely and perfectly fold their salad into bite-size pieces.
I honestly thought that was what the French liked to do: fold salad into little pillowcases. I was fascinated by their techniques and how they held their silverware. You see when you do not speak the language and must sit at the table for half a century, you notice such things.
For the dressing: Olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
Garlic is “Ail” in French. Pronounced, “I”. You can say, “Aie! Aie! Aie!” when you are hurt because “Aie” (pronounced “I” as well) also means “Ouch.”
*Crush one garlic clove in the salad per two people, enough to hear them say, “Aie!” Can you guess if they mean ouch or too much garlic?
When I arrived in France, the salad was just green leaves with vinaigrette. Coming from California, I was desperate for a “salad mixte.” At our first dinner party, I served a salad mixte with generous amounts of cherry tomatoes, avocados, mushrooms, raisins, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and toasted walnuts, to name a few of the ingredients. The very first comment was, “C‘est une salade Californienne, c’est original.” In France, the salad is served after the meal and before the cheese. I served the mixte salade first with cheese and RAISINS! Oh God, sweet and salty simultaneously, call the police.
I had it all wrong; “I was original,” which was like saying, “How interesting” in the USA.
The next time they came over, I served a simple green salad with *garlic to spice up the after-dinner conversation.
The many faux pas could have taken me down. Instead, I was a brat and survived.
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