56 May 2019 _ PopularMechanics.com↓ THE LUNCH PAILPRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
PHOTOGRAPHBY^ SAMKAPLANYOU BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH to work? Excellent—
tradespeople have been employing lunch boxes for
generations, and the virtues of this practice translate to
any profession: It’s economical, saves time, and allows
you to control what you eat. But in these modern times in
which salad has become a meal, salad also remains the
most unportable meal. It grows soggy and unappealing
with each minute after being placed in the Tupperware.
But there is a way. It’s simple mechanics. If you want to
put together a good green lunch that travels well and stays
crunchy, take everything you’ve ever learned about mak-
ing a salad and turn it upside down: The lettuce doesn’t go
on the bottom, but on top, and the dressing isn’t the last
thing you add, it’s the first.
There’s a sequence to keeping your ingredients
freshly intact:The Mechanics
of Salad
Five easy steps to turning the most unportable
of meals into a thrilling desk-side lunch.
/ B Y F R A N C I N E M A R O U K I A N /LAYER ONE The wet stuff, including about ¼ cup
of salad dressing and any brined additions, like
chopped olives, diced roasted red peppers, diced
jarred artichokes.
The best dressing is one that flows well when the jar
is inverted, like the classic one part vinegar to three
parts oil with a drop of mustard to help bind the two
liquids together.LAYER TWO Harder, heavier vegetables that benefit
from marinating without absorbing the dressing:
peppers, broccoli, celery, and if you are using whole
grape tomatoes, they can go here, as their softer
interior pulp is protected by their skin.LAYER THREE Softer vegetables like corn, mush-
rooms, or larger tomatoes, cut into sections, as well
as any grains or beans.
Onion lovers beware: Adding them to a sealed jar
of salad can send their strong aroma through every
layer, overwhelming the other ingredients.LAYER FOUR Here is where you want to put your
layer of protein: steak, chicken, eggs, tuna.
Some folks add their crunchy bits here as well, like
croutons or chopped nuts. But it is much better to
pack these separately and sprinkle them over the
salad when it is served, rather than chance condensa-
tion and softening in the jar.LAYER FIVE Top it off with greens and any soft
herbs like chives, tarragon, or parsley.
Even though the layering system keeps your dressing
as far away as possible from your greens, it is always
better to use those with some body and staying power,
like baby kale, romaine, spinach, watercress, rather
than softer leaf lettuces with more tendency to wilt.Mason jars, patented in 1858 by John Landis Mason, were designed for home food preservation. Their
ribbed neck with screw-on cap creates an airtight seal, and today they remain the iconic symbol of farm
culture. Choose a 32-ounce wide-mouth version and here’s the final trick: Maybe the jar looks better with
greens stuffed to the very top. But you must leave enough room so that when you shake the inverted jar over the bowl—which
you’ll do with gusto—the dressing on the bottom has room to be activated and the ingredients will be released without crushing.THE JAR
ITSELF