Chef Way: Red verjus (made primarily from grapes) is a main ingredient in Maffeo’s tangy vinaigrette. The long list of ingredients in his salad includes fennel, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots, bean sprouts and oven-dried tomatoes.

Easy Way: Drop the verjus and cut back on the ingredient list to include only the most important flavors.

Ingredients

1/2 small shallot very finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (5-oz) bag mesclun greens
1/2 small fennel bulb cored and thinly sliced
1/2 each seedless cucumber peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 each Red bell pepper cored and thinly sliced
1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
1 each avocado peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
2 ounces fresh goat cheese crumbled
1/4 cup pistachios roasted, shelled