Insalata Mista - Green Salad and Mixed Salad
For a simple salad, Italians use a single green, dressed with olive oil, salt, and wine vinegar or lemon juice. This is referred to as insalata verde. When green salad is the only vegetable for the dinner, generally Italians prefer to have the more elaborate insalata mista, which is a mixture of different kinds of greens with the addition of some vegetable, such as carrots, which give a different flavor and color. For this reason, the name "mixed salad."

The greens used in Tuscany are what we call here Boston lettuce, arugola, dandelion leaves and romaine lettuce. (Iceberg lettuce does not exist there; it was developed in America to withstand long voyages, with some sacrifice in flavor and texture.) In addition, there is a kind of red leaf salad and called radicchio rosso.

The other vegetables that can be used in the salad, in moderation, are carrots, celery, fennel (all in small pieces), and tomato. Italians prefer tomato still a little green for salad. So an insalata mista could consist of any combination of the following: Boston lettuce, romaine lettuce, dandelion, arugola, watercress, carrots, celery, fennel, tomato. The dressing is always olive oil (the best available) and vinegar made from good red wine, preferably Chianti, or lemon juice. Salt is added but no pepper. Popular now is the addition of thinly sliced parmesan cheese placed over the top just before serving. Italians never add croutons, or anything else to a salad.

Salad
Serves 6-8 people

1 -7 oz. bag arugula
1 -5 oz. bag baby romaine
1 -7 oz. bag Boston lettuce and radicchio
2 carrots, pared in strips
2 celery sticks, sliced on the diagonal
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced off larger piece

Dressing the Salad
Serves 6-8 people

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. red wine vinegar

First pour olive oil onto salad ingredients to distribute it evenly over the salad. Mix it through. (This coats the leaves so the vinegar or oil will not make them wilt.) Sprinkle vinegar over salad. Finally, with two tablespoons toss the salad lightly but thoroughly to distribute the dressing evenly. Garnish with parmesan

Edited from Giuliano Bugialli "The Fine Art of Italian Cooking" New York Times Books, 1979