GREAT GREENS

Whether you frequent farmers markets or supermarkets, you`ve probably noticed the colorful baby lettuces. Displayed in bags or in bins, these medleys go under such names as European mix, spring mix, continental salad or mesclun mix. As our love for fresh food continues its upsurge, these leafy veggies have become more and more prominent.

In France, these melanges are called mesclun, a word in the Provencal French dialect referring to an assortment of lettuces that tend to grow together. French farmers have long followed the custom of selecting the tender leaves of whichever greens come up. So do home gardeners in France, who pick them in their gardens.

French chefs introduced many of us to the lovely leafy mixtures. At one time mesclun was an exotic, regional, seasonal specialty that I could enjoy only in France. When I lived in Paris in the 1970s and early `80s, I could have a small mound of mesclun whenever I paid a bundle to dine in a fancy restaurant. During the past two decades, new American restaurateurs have been eagerly following the European lead and enthusiastically using baby leaves to enliven their menus.

Today, to my delight, I can buy these beautiful salad fixings at any time. They contribute interesting, changing flavors and textures to salads because many of the mixtures vary with the seasons.

I love these pretty greens and I consider them a treat. Whenever I serve them, they bring back memories of those fancy Parisian feasts I relished. With just a sprinkling of vinaigrette dressing, they are perfect as a bed for such ingredients as sauteed wild mushrooms, grilled shrimp or great goat cheese.

Even without luxurious partners, these soft, young greens make superb salads, so I was surprised to find that some of my friends don`t like them. They prefer iceberg lettuce for their salads. I wondered if my friends would have another attitude had they been initiated to the tender greens in similar surroundings as I was. My first tastes of these young lettuces was in dishes concocted by talented chefs and served in a lavish ambience. I liked them right away. For some palates, these medleys may be an acquired taste, especially those that include bitter greens like arugula and chicory.

To balance these flavors, I include a popular American salad green -- iceberg lettuce. Its mild, slightly sweet taste and refreshing, crisp texture make it an ideal associate for the more assertive greens. Besides, it costs much less and so it stretches the special greens, which can be a bit pricey.

There`s another good reason to use these greens rather than iceberg lettuce alone. They are much stronger in the nutrition department. Like other intensely colored greens, they contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. Some of them, like the lovely, round, deep green tat-soi leaves, are mild members of the cabbage family and boast the same nutrients of this valuable vegetable group.

Fruit can be a nice foil for the lettuces, lending its sweetness to contrast with their sharpness. Do add it with a light touch. Green salad is not fruit salad, and you don`t want it to be really sweet.

Recently, I enjoyed a fine example of this at a tasting of the wines and foods of Italy`s Veneto area, which surrounds Venice. The lunch menu, prepared by chefs Angelo Auriana of Valentino Ristorante in Los Angeles and Clay Purcell of West Hollywood`s Hyatt Regency (where the luncheon was held), showcased the area`s star foods, including the region`s radicchio. For the salad they paired these bitter red ``greens`` with other baby lettuces, dressed them with olive oil vinaigrette and garnished them with a few dried figs. The halved figs were perfect partners for the greens. Toasted walnuts completed the simple, delectable salad.

Almost any fruit, fresh or dried, can fulfill this function. Nectarines, peaches, apricots and mangoes add a pretty contrasting color, as do raspberries and orange segments. Apples and Asian pears contribute crunch. Add your own favorite fruits according to your fancy. Those are the salads you will appreciate the most.

Top ingredients make terrific salads. Of course, we don`t have to go as far as the chefs, who imported radicchio from Verona, a town better known to most of us for Romeo and Juliet than for its red lettuce specialty. But it`s important to use fresh lettuce and to remember that it won`t keep crisp for long, especially when the weather is hot. Refrigerate all greens promptly. Baby lettuce medleys sold in bulk are best used within a day or two. The packaged types keep only slightly longer.

Refreshing green salads are most welcome in summer. Serve them often as an appetizer, an accompaniment or the classic French way, after the main course. Add a light, flavorful dressing and keep the salads exciting by crowning them with attractive toppings. Besides fruit, try sun-dried tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, crumbled feta or blue cheese or toasted almonds. If you do this, your family might get hooked on these fresh, nutritious creations.

BABY GREENS WITH PEACHES AND PECANS

If you have a radicchio head, use a few leaves and combine them with mild greens. Baby spinach is a favorite of mine. Crisp iceberg lettuce is good too, as are the inner leaves of green leaf lettuce or tender butter lettuce, also called Boston or Bibb lettuce. Instead of buying a whole radicchio, a good way to introduce your family to its flavor is to opt for a salad mix that includes the pretty red leaves.

As for which fruit to choose, the field is wide open. Tart or sweet, soft or crunchy, anything goes. Stone fruits are obvious summer selections. Kiwi, mangoes and pineapple are perfect picks during much of the year. A few pieces of dried fruit and a sprinkling of toasted nuts lend a festive finish to the salad. Be sure both are of fine quality. Keep nuts in the freezer or refrigerator so they stay fresh. If your dried fruit is not moist, plump it up by soaking it briefly in lukewarm water.

Mild sweet onions are a good match for the greens and fruit, as is a dressing made slightly sweet with balsamic vinegar, orange juice or even a hint of honey.

1/4 red, white or sweet onion, sliced very thin

1 tablespoon walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup pecan halves

2 cups mixed baby lettuces or baby spinach

1/2 cup bite-size pieces radicchio leaves, optional

3 cups bite-size pieces iceberg lettuce or iceberg lettuce mix with red cabbage and carrots

2 peaches or nectarines

12 moist dried figs or apricots, optional

In shallow serving bowl, combine onion, walnut oil, vegetable oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Let stand so that onion marinates while preparing remaining salad ingredients.

To toast pecans, place pecans on baking sheet and toast in oven at 350 degrees or in toaster oven about 5 minutes until aromatic and very lightly browned. Transfer to plate.

Rinse baby lettuces, radicchio and iceberg lettuce. Drain greens well and pat them dry.

Just before serving, slice peaches inward toward pit in wedges. Add greens to serving bowl. Toss to mix well with onions and dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve salad topped with peach wedges, pecans and figs. Makes 4 servings.

(Faye Levy is the author of the seafood book, ``La Cuisine du Poisson`` in French, Flammarion, Paris, 1984; and the three-volume ``Fresh From France`` cookbook series, Dutton, 1987, 1989 and 1990.)

(c) 2000, Faye Levy. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

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Author: Faye Levy