Recipe 27: M. Wells Inspired Five-Greens Salad w Buttermilk Dressing

Of course, when I returned from New York City last week -- all my food enthusiast friends have been grilling me for my favorite bites in the Big Apple. And frankly, I'd be hard-pressed for an answer since I had such a diverse dining experience out there that it's really comparing apples to oranges.

But one definitely inspiring dish was M. Well's innocuous-sounding 'green salad' -- which I shared with Destination Eats for brunch (along with a heftier Seafood Cobbler & Bacon Hash.) While the hash & the cobbler were decent (though unnecessarily heavy, even for upscaled-diner grub!) the salad definitely stood out, a bright myriad of leafy greens and herbs backed by a delicate-yet-rich creamy-and-tangy buttermilk dressing that subtly complements the assorted greens.

What I loved best about this salad is how every identical-looking forkful surprises me with a different pop of flavor, sometimes it's the peppery bite of the arugula, other times I'll get a hint of the refreshing basil, and then later maybe the oniony chives or the savory dill.

As such, this was one salad I definitely looked forward to recreating for my mac 'n cheesy brunch yesterday. I did not use nearly as many greens as the M. Wells version (and honestly, I'm not even sure what were all the different ones they threw in theirs) but I tried to emulate the general flavor profile with my own Five-Greens Mix, and thanks to Food & Wine, adapted a very similar-tasting buttermilk dressing of my own that's pretty much a slam-dunk for ANY salad.

M. Wells-inspired Five Greens Salad w Buttermilk Dressing
Serves 4-6 as appetizer, or 2-3 as entree

Salad Mix
5 oz. Spinach Leaves
5 oz. Arugula Leaves
12 Stalks of Scallions, Coarsely Chopped
Handful of Basil Leaves
Handful of Dill Sprigs, Coarsely Chopped

Buttermilk Dressing (can be made a day ahead)
6 oz. buttermilk
3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp. lowfat mayonnaise
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. coarsely cracked pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

One-Step Direction:
1) Whisk together ingredients of the buttermilk dressing, then toss with the salad mix greens just prior to serving. Enjoy!

M. Wells
21-17 49th Avenue,
Long Island City, NY 11101
718-425-6917