No duh.
The Minimalist: The Well-Dressed Salad Wears Only HomemadeBut taking two minutes to combine extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and a couple of real seasonings is an enlightening experience, one that can make you vow to leave the mass-produced concoctions of cheap oil, water (more water than oil, if it’s low-fat), dried spices and hideously unnatural chemicals on the supermarket shelf.
Amazing to me - many otherwise gourmet eaters don't take the time to whip up their own dressings. Such a simple, yet satisfying addition to a meal. Buy or save a bottle, mix up a big batch, and keep it in the refrigerator: replenishing as needed.
The simplest dressing, vinaigrette, is this: around three parts oil to one part vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper, and maybe some added flavor. This may be an herb (a pinch of dried tarragon is good, fresh chives better) or a condiment (Dijon mustard is classic, and a splash of soy sauce is amazing). There might be a bit of onion, garlic (easy on this), scallion or shallot. Combine them with a fork for a “broken” dressing, or with a whisk or a blender for a lovely, creamy emulsion. Presto.
I tend to make my dressing with:
fresh tarragon, fresh oregano, a clove of garlic, Braggs or soy sauce, flax oil, sesame oil, olive oil, rice wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, and water (reverse osmosis, but that's just us). Fresh ginger if I have it. Oh, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Other herbs sometimes: especially better if the concoction sits in the refrigerator shelf for a few hours: essential oils get extracted.
Will have to try the mysterious Japanese carrot miso dressing - I have a food processor somewhere, and all the ingredients already.
