When I was eighteen I spent a few weeks in France with my mother. We stayed with friends who lived in a village outside of Paris and most nights the family would come together for a meal. There’d be fish, steak, eggs, and one evening, crepes, served with an array of spreads, from jam to chestnut cream and Nutella.

At some point during the meal we’d eat a salad, and for dessert, a little cheese or yoghurt.

Simple and green, I recall feeling perplexed when first spotting a bowl of leaves on the dining table. Earlier that day I noticed our friend collecting vegetables at the local market, chatting with the vendor as she filled her basket, but I assumed she purchased more than lettuce. Where was the tomato, cucumber and onion?

And was a salad even a salad without cheddar cheese cubes? The answer, I discovered, is “Oui, bien-sûr!”

A French salad can be many things, but it is often an assembly of seasonal leaves and herbs, from romaine and endive, to tarragon and chervil. It is likely dressed simply and stunningly in a vinaigrette made with olive oil, a vinegar (often sherry or red wine), mustard and shallots, sometimes herbs and always salt. I love this salad for reasons beyond memories of traipsing around Paris with my mum, eating pastries and finding hidden bookstores. Twelve years on, it’s a dish that continues to define how I shop, cook and eat. Celebrating regionality with seasonal food in simple, self-assured preparations. It just so happens that this way of eating encourages good health.

A couple of years ago I spent some time on a biodynamic farm. As a food-loving dietitian, I wanted to learn what it takes to nurture and harvest produce. Along with pulling carrots out of the ground, one of my favourite things was watching the lettuces grow. Robin, from Transition Farm, carefully curated the leaf mixes so her CSA members would enjoy an array of different flavours, shapes and textures. Lettuce, I was once again reminded, is more than green. In fact, darker and more bitter leaves have a higher antioxidant content.

And so, when assembling your salad, be sure to include an array of flavours and textures, like the French and fellow lettuce-lovers. This way, you will be gifted a meal full of exciting mouthfuls in addition to fabulous phytonutrients, which are essential for good health and longevity. You’ll find that fresh, seasonal leaves and an excellent dressing are all that you need. Leave out the cheese cubes, folks. Save them for dessert instead.