One of my favorite places as a child was my grandparent’s garden. I can still walk through their yard in my mind, each row of the garden, through the asparagus patch, under the grape trellis and between the sweet pear trees. By the back door my grandpa had old tin coffee cans with a loop of string attached to them, meant to wear around your neck and pick raspberries. I loved putting on a coffee can and heading to the berry patch, but to be honest not many berries made it into that can.

Every summer when the lettuce is ready to be harvested, I am drawn back to my grandparents beautiful garden. My grandma would turn the fresh garden lettuce into a simple, delicious salad I crave every year. The flavors bring me back to their yard, surrounded by the garden.

It is an incredibly simple salad, just crisp spring lettuce, green onions, and poppy seed dressing. When both are fresh from the garden, this salad sings. The tangy and sweet dressing marries everything together beautifully. In my garden I like to grow a crunchy texture lettuce - my grandmother grew butterhead type lettuce, which has a soft, buttery texture. I grow Winter Density and Blush Batavian - my go-to’s for all summer salads. I do not like to make this salad with cut-and-come-again salad mix, as the single lettuce variety really makes this salad delicious. For green onions, I look for thin, tender onions. They tend to have a less aggressive onion flavor and more pleasant texture. I do add a twist from my own garden, topping the salad with fresh shelling peas for a sweet pop of flavor.

My grandma’s poppy seed dressing was pretty sweet, something I greatly enjoyed as a kid. I prefer a bit more tang now, with a hint of sweet. I also like a bit thinner dressing for a light and even drizzle.The recipe for this salad is loose and flexible, easy to adapt to your own liking.

Grandma’s Simple Salad

1 head of lettuce - Butterhead for a softer, buttery lettuce, or Blush Batavian, or Winter Density for a crunchy lettuce

2-3 young green onions, sliced very thinly on a diagonal

Dressing

1Tbs. Poppy seeds

Mayonnaise - I prefer Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayo

Rice Vinegar - this gives a lighter flavor, you can use regular if that is what you have on hand.

Pure Maple Syrup

Salt

Small mason jar with a lid

Recipe

Add 1Tbs. poppy seeds, 2Tbs. Mayo, 2-3tsp. of vinegar, a drizzle of maple syrup and a good pinch of salt to your mason jar.
Twist on the lid and shake the jar vigorously for a minute or so until smooth and well combined.
Open the lid and taste. If too thick, too salty or too sweet, thin it out with more vinegar. If too sour or too thick, thin it out with maple syrup. If too thin, add more mayonnaise. If mayonnaise is over powering, add a bit more of both vinegar and maple syrup. If lacking flavor, add a bit more salt. Continue to layer and play with the mixture until your desired thickness and tang.
Tear lettuce and arrange on salad plates. Top each plate with sliced green onions and shelled peas (optional). Drizzle with dressing and serve.