Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's

From Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's: Three Men, Five Great Wines, and the Evening that Changed America by Charles A. Cerami:

Salad and Dressing (Serves 6)

2 tbsp wine vinegar or tarragon wine vinegar
salt
whole black pepper in a pepper mill
6 to 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cups mixed salad greens, such as seasonal lettuce, spinach, endive, radicchio, and cress
fresh herbs such as sweet basil, marjoram, mint, and summer savory [what is that?]
6 small scallions, trimmed

1. Put the vinegar, a small pinch of salt, and several generous grindings of pepper in a salad bowl and beat with a fork until the salt is dissolved.

2. Gradually beat in about 6 tbsp of olive oil, a little at a time in a steady thin stream, beating constantly until emulsified. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and oil as needed.

3. Add the greens and herbs to the dressing and toss lightly to coat. Taste and adjust the seasonings again, toss and arrange the scallions around the edge of the bowl.

Apparently the vanilla ice cream really wowed 'em as it was served inside a hot pastry giving it the illusion of having been somehow cooked. Recipe too long to type up.

Of course, the book was about the Great Compromise reached by Jefferson, his buddy Madison and the dread Hamilton: the assumption of the revolutionary debt by the federal government and the placement of the Capitol on the Potomac rather than permanently in New York of Philadelphia. I'm taking the author's book on Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase to (My Own Private) Idaho in a couple of weeks.