It’s one of those dishes that either fail on the imagination when we make it ourselves, or seem too inconvenient to concoct when we’re living on the go.

Enter Maryjo Testa, owner of a catering business called Salad Style. Since July, she’s been supplying downtown office workers with imaginative, meal-in-one salads that aren’t easily found at neighboring eateries. Testa tosses up her lettuces at a nearby kitchen facility and then delivers them to the lunchrooms of high rises every weekday. With usually 30 hearty salads in tow, she sells out within 45 minutes.

“Everyone loves salads, and there aren’t any good salad eateries around,” she explains. “I wanted my business to be about food that is natural and good for people. And salads are very easy to deal with.”

Testa brings to her venture an experienced background in culinary arts, having last worked as executive chef at Laurel Restaurant and Bar before getting into the business of salad making. Her knowledge and passion for the latest and greatest greens on the market further enhances the enterprise. Things like iceberg and butter lettuces, she says, are out. Green oak leaf, delicate mache, endive and watercress are all in.

“Home chefs should always look for crisp and vibrant colors when choosing their greens,” she says. “Pieces that have dull yellow markings on them means they’re old. If lettuce is too wilted, I don’t use it.”

Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, she adds, are good outlets for buying some of the smaller leaf and spring mix lettuces containing radicchio and baby arugula. Additionally, the organic farms in North County such as Chino Farms and Sierra Miguel offer new varieties for retail. And for those fast-food junkies trying to get on track with their diets, Testa’s advice is simple: “Stock your refrigerator once a week with locally grown veggies and lettuces and you’ll find that it’s easy to make salads a few times a week.”

Testa’s newfound success stems also from her ability to incorporate a host of other ingredients into her greens. Her signature Caesar, for example, goes the extra mile with the addition of sweet yellow corn, hearts of palm and cotija cheese. And her popular Tuscan salad uses albacore tuna, white beans, capers and Mediterranean olives.

Other salad additives that work especially well together are asparagus and fava beans, pears and walnuts, carrots and snap peas or green beans and red potatoes – clever additions that offer a whole lot more taste and nutrition than sliced cucumbers and boxed croutons.

When it comes to the crowning moment, Testa is a stickler for balsamic vinaigrette. “It goes with all types of salads.” The creamy dressings, she warns, diminish the natural essence of salads and upstage delicate lettuces. Ranch, thousand island and bottled French dressings aren’t in her repertoire. Neither is creamy blue cheese. Citrus vinaigrette with blue cheese crumbles is the preferred substitute.

When asked what restaurants in town serve the best salads, she pauses and states, “This is why I’m making the business.”

Testa’s menu is posted on her website; visit this article at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link. Deliveries are limited to downtown, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill and Mission Hills. For more information, call (619) 274-6003.

(Yields 3 cups)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cups olive oil

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 juiced lemon

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until emulsified. Store in a sealed container and refrigerate. Stays good for up to three weeks.