Have you ever noticed that a great many different cuisines incorporate dishes that pair some type of green leafy ingredient with some type of fat-rich ingredient? In the Mediterrean it might be simply green leafy lettuce and olive oil, parsley salad with tahini dressing, or sauteed greens + pignola (pine) nuts, not to mention pesto itself (basil + pignolas, traditionally). In Northern or Eastern Europe you might find cabbage and mayonnaise (cole slaw), or spinach with bacon dressing. In the far East it might be deep-sea fatty fish and seaweed (sushi). If you take the time to look, you will find green leaves combined with fats over and over again in cuisines the world over. 

This cannot be a coincidence. I am going to predict that someday we will discover that eating greens with fat increases the availability, perhaps by gut absorption, of certain nutrients in the greens. Or maybe the fats. Or maybe both.

Remember that we are the survivors. We are the ones who inherited our own families’ food traditions over thousands of generations. We are the ones with the genetic edge that brought us here, to this time and place. Independent of their deliciousness or their ability to impart “tastebud happiness,” I believe that our inherited patterns of food preparation have some very special health, wellness and survivability benefits all their own. We are the ones whose mothers are more likely to have insisted that we drink the leftover nutrient-rich broth. To me, the broad offerings, over so many different cuisines, of recipes consisting of greens mixed with fats speaks to their value in our arsenal of approaches for being well nourished.

Below I have included three recipes for mixing your own greens and fats. The directions are all the same: Combine the ingredients in a small jar or bowl. Mix, shake or whisk well. If there is time, refrigerate the container for 30 minutes or more to blend the flavors. If not, don’t worry. These dressings are flavorful and nutritious.

Regarding salt, if you know that you are salt-sensitive, then simply skip that ingredient. There is more than enough intense flavor, with or without the salt. By the way, it’s nice to have a dedicated jar with a spout designed for pouring, but it’s not necessary. Sometimes I also use a small Ball jar or a jelly jar.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. tamari (optional)
3 garlic cloves mashed to a pulp with 1/2 tsp. coarse salt (with a sharp knife, fork, or mortar & pestle)
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Real French Vinaigrette
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. prepared Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Tahini Salad Dressing (a long-standing favorite of mine)
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste, available everywhere)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

This dressing is incredibly delicious on Lebanese salad, which I make with:
2 small cucumbers, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
3 radishes, diced
1 green onion, sliced thinly
10 mint leaves, chopped
1/3 bunch parsley, chopped

Bon appetit!