"Take the buds of all good sallets herbs, capers, dates, raisins, almonds, currans, figs, orangado. Then first of all lay it in a large dish, the herbs being finely picked and washed, swing them in a clean napkin; then lay the other materials round the dish, and amongst the herbs some of all the foresaid fruits, some fine sugar, and on the top slic't lemon, and eggs scarce hard cut in halves, and laid round the side of the dish, and scrape sugar over all; or you may lay every fruit in partitions several."
Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660)
In the good old days, salad was a sugar delivery system, and a salad spinner was a cook with a napkin.
Have you never wrapped lettuce in a tea towel and shaken it when there is no salad spinner to hand? Youth, youth ... If you assume herbs (ie greenery, general) represent 90% of the recipe it's probably less of a sugar hit than it sounds. I might try it. Though I would probably go with the spinner not the tea towel.
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