Tart Green Salad

This is a very tasty, eye-pleasing, belly-filling salad! Lynne Rossetto Kasper's salad of the same name provides the inspiration for this dish.  The tart greens pair beautifully with the warm garlic balsamic dressing.  It is quite an easy salad to make once you are habituated.  Make sure to serve the salad on a platter and not in a bowl: the diversity of colors and textures makes this a stunning salad.  The warm dressing will be drizzled over the top (and not tossed in).

Ingredients
One medium red onion, sliced into thin rings

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Mix of greens: radicchio, escarole, romaine, curly endive cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

4 scallions (white and green parts) thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
One loosely packed cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
6 large cloves of garlic, thickly diced
3/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used vinegar from my own barrel, but a good red wine vinegar will work)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Optional: Prosciutto di Parma, cut into bite-sized squares; cooked and then lightly sauteed white beans

Preparation

Soak the onion in the 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar for 30 minutes (this will tame its bite).  Wash and spin the greens, basil and parsley.  Mix the greens with half the pine nuts, most of the scallions, half a cup of shaved Parmigiano, half the prosciutto and/or white beans (if using).  Arrange on a platter.  

Making the Dressing

In a medium sauce pan cook the olive oil and garlic on low heat until the garlic just begins to color (take care not to overcook the garlic).  Remove the garlic from the oil and reserve.  Turn up the heat to medium and add the vinegars and lightly whisk together.  Add the brown sugar.  Let the dressing slowly bubble for a minute.  Taste for sweet/tart balance.  Stir in reserved garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk everything together vigorously.  Set aside until ready to serve, reheating to warm if it has cooled off.  This dressing can be made several hours ahead of time.  (I had left over dressing and used some the next day and it was quite good then as well.  However, it is best made fresh.) 

Salad Assembly

Spread the drained red onions across the salad greens.  Sprinkle the remaining scallions, pine nuts, Parmigiano, prosciutto and white beans across the top.  Spoon the warm, thoroughly whisked dressing over the salad.  Enjoy immediately!

Pairing Suggestions: I would serve this with a crisp white from Friuli, or a young Chianti.  A good, fruity Beaujolais could also work.  If you do go for a red I would serve it slightly chilled!