🥗 Angler’s Garden Green Salad

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The Berkeley Bowl Adventure

When I say we went all-in for this salad, I mean it. The Angler’s Garden Green salad is legendary, and I knew I wanted my own version on the September garden party table. So off we went to Berkeley Bowl, the only place where you can actually find lettuces with names that sound like fairy tale characters.

Little Gem, Frisée, Lolla Rossa, even wild spinach—it was like a scavenger hunt. Wilder insisted on pushing the tiny cart, which was adorable until he ran over approximately everyone’s ankles in the produce section. (Consider this my public apology to the strangers of Berkeley Bowl.)

By the time we left, our cart was bursting with every shade of green and a bouquet of herbs that smelled like the world’s fanciest perfume. This salad turned out to be the crisp, herbal counterpoint to the roasted chicken—a mix of textures and flavors that felt as lush as the garden party itself.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
Greens

  • 1 head Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated

  • ½ head frisée, torn into small pieces

  • ½ head baby romaine, torn

  • ½ head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

  • ½ head spotted romaine, torn

  • ½ head lolla rossa, torn

  • 1 cup wild spinach leaves

  • 1 cup baby arugula

Herbs

  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves

  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves

  • ¼ cup shiso leaves, torn

  • ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves

  • ¼ cup sorrel, thinly sliced

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • ½ teaspoon honey

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Wash and thoroughly dry all lettuces and herbs. Tear or slice into bite-sized pieces.

  2. In a large bowl, gently combine the greens and herbs so each bite has a little mix of textures and flavors.

  3. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Just before serving, lightly toss the salad with the dressing—coating but not drenching the leaves.

  5. Serve chilled, family-style, for the freshest crunch.

Why It Works

This salad isn’t just about one type of lettuce—it’s about the symphony of many. Crisp, bitter, sweet, herbaceous—it all comes together in a way that feels both elevated and effortless. And while it might take a slightly chaotic trip to Berkeley Bowl (ankle casualties included), the payoff is a salad that anchors the table in freshness.