Mixed Salad from the Marches

• 6 ounces mixed sweet greens, including beet leaves, and lettuces such as mâche, Bibb, Boston, red, or romaine, all as young and tender as possible
• 3 ounces mixed bitter greens, including arugula, radicchio, watercress, Belgian endive, curly endive, dandelion, and escarole, all as young and tender as possible
• 1 small round bulb fennel
• 3 green onions, including 1 inch of the green tops, or 1 small Vidalia or sweet red onion
• ½ cup highest-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons highest-quality red wine vinegar
• salt

Select a large salad bowl. Discard any wilted leaves from the lettuces, or any that are darker green and, therefore, tougher. Detach the bases from all the lettuces and greens. Remove the stems from the arugula and watercress. Soak all the leaves in several changes of very cold water for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse then under cold running water. Dry them in a salad spinner, or wrap and blot them in clean kitchen towels. Tear all the greens into bite-size pieces. Put them in the salad bowl.

Slice off the tough base of the fennel; cut off the stalks and fronds. Trim away any brown spots. Cut the bulb into quarters lengthwise, then slice it thinly crosswise. Chop 1 tablespoon of the youngest, light green fronds; reserve the remaining fronds and stalks for another use. Add the sliced bulb and chopped fronds to the bowl. Thinly slice the onions and add to the bowl as well.

Drizzle the salad with the olive oil. Using two forks, toss the greens to distribute the oil and coat the salad ingredients evenly. Dissolve salt to taste in the vinegar and drizzle it over the salad. Toss again thoroughly without bruising the greens. Serve at once.