At Forni-Brown-Welsh Gardens, Barney Welsh's definition of a weed is location: If it's in his way, it's a weed. If not, it's the raw ingredient for a Tra Vigne salad.
One of the most important elements of entertaining is getting together with people you haven't seen in awhile. That's why I invited Amy Wilmoth to help on this show. I've known Amy since she was a kid. She learned to cook the European way — by growing up in the kitchen. Together, we make some spectacular salads that star humble ingredients, like the lowly onion.
Whether making salads or any other dish, people tend to get a recipe and then look for the ingredients. It's much better to adjust the recipe to fit the freshest ingredients you can find. Before I decide what kind of salad I'm going to make, I like to see what looks best at Forni-Brown-Welsh's organic gardens. They grow everything from arugula, to mizuna to tat soi to frisée.
On the show I introduce you to these "weeds," and make my favorite green salad. It has only three ingredients — spectacular lettuce, gray salt, and extra-virgin olive oil.
