A dash of sweet with a hint of zing- and herb, an oil and a whisk-like thing; drizzles bring life to every type of green. I personally ran from the notion of making my dressings because it just seemed so ..well, complicated. Either we had the wrong oil, or lacked the right herbs- we wanted a cream base, but didn't have the recipe.
Well that just wouldn't do, so to handle this situation tests and trials were in order; experimentation in the kitchen! Every well balanced dressing seems to possess some basic components: oil, acid, flavorings and optional creams. After much research and review it has been developed: a basic dressing flex-recipe- -- the formula for creativity to suite our tastes.
Basic Dressing Flex-recipe Formula
to every 1/4 cup of acid (such as a vinegar or a citrus juice) add:
1 Tablespoon of finely chopped herb or a combination of herbs
decide if a cream component is needed: if so add a spoonful (such as a coarse mustard. yogurt or sour cream, even mayo or heavy cream will do)
now finish it off by whisking in 1/2 cup of oil (such as olive, canola, coconut or whatever you like)
How easy is that? This can be made ahead and stored in the fridge- decorative decanter or mason jar. I often whisk my dressing in the bottom of a large bowl and chop my salad right on top; a good toss and you're ready to eat!
Now- here are a few tips we love:
instead of one acid, combine 2 tablespoons vinegar with 1/4 cup citrus: very tasty
herb based vinaigrette using: parsley, tarragon, and thyme (add to this a minced clove of garlic and some sour cream for a ranch style flavor)
using dijon mustard and 1 small minced onion
balsamic with a minced garlic clove
use the juice and zest of a lemon, lime and orange with olive oil and pepper
lastly: 1/2 cup crushed raspberries with a spoonful of chopped mint
Tasty, simple and open to exploration: the basic dressing formula....enjoy some greens today!
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