I have been making my own salad dressings for so long now that store bought dressing just doesn't do it for me any more. And if I am making my own salad dressing, then why haven't I been growing my own lettuce? Well, this year, I did. The garden is full of red and green romaine, assorted green leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, swiss chard and more. It's been a great pleasure of mine to rummage through the patch and collect piles of it for dinner salads. Each night after work, I steal out to the garden to see what's new with my greens and invite them for dinner. I dare say, I am going to miss them when they are gone for the summer.
I have several dressings in my files as I am sure you do too. This one is simple, tasty and quick, but again, it's home made and I think you too will begin to notice the difference between home made and store bought when you start making your own.
Weeknight Salad Dressing
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 t. dijon mustard
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
This recipe serves four. Mix all ingredients in a bowl or a dressing shaker and blend well. I usually add more salt and pepper since I love the taste on salad. When you prepare this salad, romaine is a very good base to start with and then add mixed greens to it. I julienne red bell peppers usually to accompany the lettuce, but you can use any color bell pepper or tomatoes. For a little extra, try adding shredded parmesan, bacon bits and sliced avocado. It's so good, it's hysteria! I have served this as a side salad virtually 5 days a week with dinner, but you can also make it a main course by adding what you like.
Tip! I have also used red wine vinegar or citrus juice in place of the vinegar in the recipe above. Also, if you want to "crisp" your lettuce prior to serving, fill your salad spinner with cold water. Add lettuce and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Spin dry and then prepare with dressing. Your lettuce will be crisp and fresh looking, not to mention crunchy!
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