January 20, 2010: Vinaigrette

Bottled dressings do not have a place in my larder. I eat a salad almost every day and making the dressing fresh and from scratch is part of the routine. I don't measure out the ingredients anymore as I have acquired an instinct for how much oil to add to the vinegar. In my small household, it starts with pressing a single clove of garlic into the salad bowl.

A simple vinaigrette is not only the foundation for a superb salad, it coats the tender lettuce leaves with vibrant flavor and brings the salad to life! The dressing also contains health benefits, such as the omega 3's in the olive oil and immunity boosters in the garlic. And... there is the satisfaction of using the finest ingredients to produce a natural product that is free from chemical additives.

This recipe is a basic vinaigrette from Julia Child's 1975 book, "From Julia Child's Kitchen." The vinaigrette that I whisk together today is a little different, but this is where I first started.

SAUCE VINAIGRETTE

1 clove garlic
Salt
1 T each, lemon juice and wine vinegar
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 to 2/3 c best-quality olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh or dried herbs, such as basil

Puree the garlic through a press into a small mortar or bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mash vigorously with a pestle or wooden spoon to make a very smooth paste. Beat (using a whisk) in a tablespoon of each of the lemon juice and wine vinegar, and the dry mustard. Beat (using a whisk) in gradually 1/2 cup olive oil-5 to 6 parts oil to one of the vinegar/lemon juice is about right, because too tart a dressing will spoil the taste of any wine you are serving. (Julia thinks about everything!) Beat in a grind or two of pepper, a big pinch of herbs, taste carefully, and correct seasoning, beating in more oil, salt, pepper, or herbs as necessary.

*You can see from this most basic of recipes, that YOU, the cook, are an active player the balance of oil to vinegar/lemon juice. The more you cook, the more you will rely on your instincts to bring a dish to the table with delicious success. And, the more you rely on YOUR senses, the more a recipe becomes your own! It's sort of like wearing in a shoe -- before long, it beomes your own and fits only your foot!