Combine the lettuce and cabbage in a large bowl. Add the radishes, cherry tomatoes, pickled shallots, chives, cucumbers, and carrots. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Add the avocado and feta (if using) and drizzle with a small amount of dressing. Toss very gently with your hands to incorporate into the salad without smearing avocado and feta everywhere.

Other variations:

Chopped oranges instead of tomatoes and toasted sunflower seeds instead of cucumbers in the winter and spring;
Radicchio and endive in place of some of the romaine;
Fresh or grilled corn in place of the carrots.

Everyday Salad Dressing:

1 small shallot minced, about 2 teaspoons
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons raw cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
¾ cup unrefined olive oil or ½ cup olive oil + ¼ cup flax oil

Whisk together in a bowl or shake in a screw-top jar until emulsified.

Pickled Shallots:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon cane sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 small shallots, thinly sliced

Combine 1 cup of water and the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Add the sliced onions and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the liquid and set aside to cool.

Excerpted from Kitchen Matters: More than 100 Recipes and Tips to Transform the Way You Cook and Eat—Wholesome, Nourishing, Unforgettable by Pamela Salzman. Copyright © 2017. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.