Idem

Eastside Road, January 5, 2010—

EXACTLY THE SAME meal as last night: sliced roast pork, black-eyed peas, green salad. It occurs to me how complacent I am about that salad, even though it's the one unvarying dinner ingredient here. I modified my way of treating it a few months ago — or, rather, I now vary the treatment from time to time. Before dinner, usually while Lindsey washes the greens, I crush a clove of garlic with some salt in the bottom of the salad bowl, then cover it with olive oil. This stands to take on flavor while we eat dinner.
The main course finished, I whisk vinegar into the oil with a dinner fork, whisking rapidly side-to-side. I add the greens, then drizzle more olive oil on top, and scatter a pinch of salt. That's it: Lindsey tosses the salad, and we enjoy it — I with a slice of bread, which takes up all the extra dressing from the empty salad bowl.
Salad always comes after dinner, and signals the end of the wine service, the end of the meal. What more could you want?

Cheap Nero d'Avola