Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

I know that in the last post, I said I would tell you about a cake with rosemary, but cherry tomatoes are a special, seasonal, short-time-only situation, and needed to be addressed soon. Cake season goes on forever.

For the most part, I’ve been just eating this year’s summer produce out of hand, like snack food, whether it be snap peas from the farmer’s market or green beans, cucumbers and tomatoes from my own garden. I just haven’t been exploring new recipes or even doing much cooking (except for these favorites and a few summer squash favorites). I have been doing a little chopping and tossing, salad style, and I went back to this simple vinaigrette that I hadn’t made in years.

This really is just a basic vinaigrette with chopped tomatoes stirred in, but don’t underestimate the contribution of beautiful summer tomatoes. You could use whatever tomatoes you like, even sun-dried tomatoes if you want to make this out of season, but I prefer the texture and style of little pieces of cherry tomato. I used a fairly mild, locally produced red wine vinegar, which makes a less acidic dressing. Like any other homemade dressing, however, you can adjust the vinegar and seasonings as you like. You could also add some fresh herbs, particularly slivered basil leaves, if you happen to have some available.

 

This dressing is good on green salads, and since there’s already some vegetation in the mix, you don’t need to have much more in that salad than some crunchy greens. Recently, I used it to make a bean and olive salad, which was fabulously delicious. I just tossed it over a bowl of white beans and chopped olives. Simple and easy, but still seasonally lovely.

And I’m still working on the post about that cake. Stay tuned.

Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

This dressing is good on green salads or on heartier salads like the white bean salad with olives pictured above.

You could use another kind of tomato here, or add fresh herbs to taste.

1 medium-size garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

a few grinds black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, onion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir together and let stand about 15 minutes.

2. Whisk in the olive oil until the mixture is well-emulsified. Stir in the cherry tomatoes. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning or vinegar-oil balance as desired.

Makes a generous ½ cup dressing. Use right away.

Other recipes like this one: Basic Vinaigrette, Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette

One year ago: Garlic and Herb Vegetable Dip

Feta Vinaigrette

I learned to cook by reading recipes and following them to the letter, treating them kind of like all the chemistry lab procedures I’d tackled over time (although usually with better results). It was with this less than flexible mindset that I followed a recipe for a Greek Sandwich with Feta Vinaigrette from the May 2001 issue of Cooking Light magazine. It was a vegetarian sandwich with lots of arugula (I think I actually deviated from the printed word by necessity and used something else), tomatoes, olives and cucumbers on sourdough bread. I was really happy about it, or so I remember. It was a long time ago.

I very neatly and accurately recorded the exact recipe, printed it off and placed it in a 3-ring binder. I did not, however, make that sandwich ever again. I’m sure it wasn’t because the recipe was difficult. It was a sandwich for crying out loud.

I didn’t forget it, though, and when I looked at the recipe some time ago, I said to myself, who is now more enlightened when it comes to recipe improvisation, “Hey, dummy, you don’t have to make this as a sandwich. It’s really a salad. On bread, sure, but it’s mostly a salad.” And the most memorable part of that salad was the dressing: a lemon vinaigrette with the feta cheese crumbled right in.

I get pretty excited about salad dressings this time of year, simply because the early greens have to tide me over until the other vegetables have time to grow (although the rhubarb, asparagus and morel mushrooms are coming!). Unlike the original sandwich, this vinaigrette is definitely one I’m going to return to often. It’s delicious enough for me to make sure there are always lemons in the kitchen and feta cheese in the refrigerator. I also added a bit of shallot, which I find to be such an enhancement to even simple vinaigrettes, that it, too, has earned a spot on my regular shopping list.

This tart and cheesy dressing was really nice on my spinach salad and probably would go well with your other spring and summer salad greens. I minimally accompanied my (locally grown!) spinach with a few kalamata olives and some thinly sliced Vidalia onion (because that’s what I happened to have on hand). Some nice, ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers would be great to add if they’re in season where you are. Sigh. I’ll still have to wait. Try not to gloat too much.


Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

1 small to medium garlic clove
a heavy pinch of coarse salt
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1. Mince the garlic clove on a cutting board and sprinkle the salt over it. Make a garlic-salt paste as described in this post. Combine the garlic-salt paste with the shallot and lemon juice in a small bowl.

2. Add the sugar, oregano and pepper and whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil until well mixed. Stir in the feta cheese.

Makes enough to dress about 4 side salads. Refrigerate any leftovers for a few days.

Other recipes like this one: Basic Vinaigrette, Chickpea and Olive Salad with Greek Flavors, Deconstructed Spanakopita Salad

One year ago: Seitan Stir Fry with Asparagus, Green Beans and Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Two years ago: Simple Shredded Carrot Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Around here there is a resurgence of local greens for salad after the hot growing season is over. The lettuces and such that were spring greens months ago get replanted and show up in our CSA box as fall greens. While I still love a nice salad with tomatoes and peppers and red wine vinaigrette or ranch dressing, for a seasonal spin, I like to put some fall ingredients in my side salad, such as apples, dried fruits and nuts.

To go with these fall salads, I recently tried a recipe for cranberry vinaigrette. The ingredients are simply whirled together in a blender until they make a pretty pink emulsion that, because of its resemblance to a lovely, fruity drink, was quickly christened “smoothie dressing” at a dinner I had recently with fun relatives. The vinaigrette is well-sweetened (I used maple syrup and turbinado sugar) and fruity, but has plenty of tart and savory notes from the sour end of the cranberries, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. It is thick and sticks well to just about any salad ingredient, and, while I made my batch several days ago, I have yet to see it begin to separate out of its well-emulsified state as dressings without stabilizers often can.

I really like this dressing with tender fall greens, apples, dried cranberries, nuts and milky ricotta salata cheese. Its sweetened cranberry nature compliments these flavors and textures well. I also think it would be a successful contrast for more robust flavors like bitter arugula, oranges, and pecorino or blue cheese. This recipe makes a lot of vinaigrette, so it looks like I’ll be able to try it in various combinations as long as the late-season greens keep coming. (We’re expecting some greenhouse offerings in our upcoming winter CSA share!)

Fresh cranberries are in the stores now, but you can make this with frozen cranberries as well. Frozen cranberries will be available for a long time, or I highly recommend buying double when you shop for fresh and freezing some yourself. (I think this vinaigrette would be especially attractive on the Christmas dinner table.) Because of their unusually high acid content, cranberries can last even a year or so if well-wrapped and frozen.

The greens will eventually run out, however, especially when the temperature plummets and the snows come, but that’s okay. I’ve got ideas for other uses of Cranberry Vinaigrette, such as dressing a grain salad, stirring it into roasted vegetables, marinating warm spaghetti squash….Hmmm, I think I’ll need to make another batch after all.


Cranberry Vinaigrette
Adapted with alterations from Midwest Living magazine

You can use regular fine sugar for the coarse sugar, but use a little less.

½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (thaw if frozen)
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons coarse sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch black pepper

1. In the jar of a blender or food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar and garlic. Blend until no longer chunky.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for at least a week (maybe longer.)

Makes about 1 ¾ cups.

Other recipes like this one: Maple Walnut Vinaigrette, Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

One year ago: Pizza

Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

I'm not sure how maple syrup got into fall and winter foods and flavors, since it's made in the spring, but I'm not going to complain about it. It goes well with winter squash, apples, cranberries, pecans and walnuts, and baked goods, like quick breads and cakes. It's also great with mustard, cider vinegar and walnut oil in a vinaigrette for an early winter green salad.

Our CSA, which offers a bi-weekly winter share of storage vegetables, also keeps their growing season going with greenhouses (or possibly with magic and miracles). That was how I got fresh spinach in December that was grown just a few miles away. I could have cooked it or blanched and frozen it, but it seemed most appropriate to celebrate its freshness with one last thumbing of my nose at the (rapidly) approaching winter, and eat it fresh in a salad. I could have gone with a Greek style salad with red onions and feta cheese, but I'm still buying some fantastic locally grown apples (most recently some sweet-tart-crisp Arabella apples that, to me, tasted as good as the local-favorite Honeycrisp). Thinly sliced apples atop a green salad with a maple-walnut vinaigrette are a seasonal must-have for me. Add some dried cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts (or pecans, which is what I happened to have), and it's instantly festive as well as delicious.



I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese, but I like the way it cuts through and contrasts with the sweetness and crunch of this salad and dressing. You could use something else with a bit of a sharp bite, like Parmesan, feta or goat cheese. You could also use whatever salad greens you happen to have. This vinaigrette is also good in other applications, like salads made with grains, such as wheat berries, rice or barley (I hope to post one of these soon). I bet it would also be good drizzled over roasted vegetables. It's sweet and nutty, and just right for the season, even if the syrup was tapped, boiled and bottled way back in the spring.



Maple Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

It's a good idea to taste a salad dressing before serving. Just dredge a leaf of your salad greens in it and taste, then adjust seasonings as needed.

2 tablespoons (30 ml) cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple syrup
1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard
pinch salt, or to taste
pinch pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) walnut oil

1. Combine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

2. Add the walnut oil and whisk until very well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Dressing can be stored for at least a week in the refrigerator. Whisk or shake well in a sealed container to combine a separated dressing.

Makes about 1/3 cup or enough for 4 servings of the salad below.


Spinach Salad with Apples and Maple Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe
You can use whatever greens, dried fruit, or cheese you like in this salad.

1 recipe Maple Walnut Vinaigrette
6 cups torn fresh spinach
1 medium apple, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (or pecans)

1. Divide the spinach evenly among four salad plates. Evenly distribute the sliced apple, dried cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts and arrange them over the spinach on each plate. Drizzle about 1/4 of the dressing over each salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Salad Daze

"...My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood..."

-Cleopatra, from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra

I’ve been eating really a lot of salad lately, and perhaps my judgment is greener than it once was. I don’t mean that quite the way Shakespeare implied, but in the sense of environmentally “green.” All my salad greens are organic and come from the CSA* to which we subscribe. Sometimes, Kermit the Frog was right, it’s not easy being green, but with this CSA subscription, it sure is bountiful…and tasty!

I rarely buy salad dressing anymore (although if I was going to see Cate, I’d certainly buy her favorite “dip”…I like it, too!) Part of the reason is that I’d rather make things for myself when I can (thus, a food blog). I also, however, prefer variety, and to have a bottle of dressing for every mood would require a second refrigerator.

Besides, salad dressing is easy. You can make just enough to dress the salad you’re about to serve, or enough for a few days that you can keep on stand-by in the refrigerator. A whisk and a bowl are my favorite tools for blending ingredients, but you can use a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake the dressing to your heart’s content. For larger batches of dressing, you can even use a blender…if you don’t mind cleaning it when you’re done.

Below are four recipes for salad dressings that I’ve been making and eating during my salad daze. Three of them are designed for two servings and can be easily multiplied. The Buttermilk-Herb Dressing recipe serves four to five. I have included two vinaigrettes, a honey-mustard dressing, and my answer to ranch dressing, which I love. I must admit that I rarely measure ingredients for salad dressings, so the recipes are more like guidelines.

The Basic Vinaigrette can be varied to your personal taste. It is basically an acidic liquid and olive oil in equal portions with a few other flavorings. You can use just about any vinegar or citrus juice, and add herbs or spices to match the flavors of your meal or other salad ingredients. This is good on most green salads.

The Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette is the same dressing I used in the Simple Shredded Carrot Salad in the Pomegranate Preference post. I just substituted walnut oil for the olive oil and added a touch of orange flower water for even more exotic flair. You certainly can leave out the orange flower water if you don’t happen to have any on hand (why wouldn’t you…I really am joking). I used this dressing on salad greens with fresh apricots, cherries, walnuts and shaved parmesan. I also think it would be good with other fruits like fresh berries later this summer, or apples and cranberries in the fall or oranges and pomegranate seeds in the winter.

The honey mustard dressing, like the basic vinaigrette, is good on just about any salad. You could probably change up the flavors by using different styles or flavors of mustard. Hmmm…I’ve got some cranberry mustard that might make things interesting.

The Buttermilk-Herb dressing is much thinner than commercial ranch dressings. I suppose you could add mayonnaise to it to thicken it up or even turn it into a dipping sauce (ie, for grilled potatoes). I used Organic Valley brand buttermilk, which I found to be less harsh in flavor than some other brands I’ve used.



If you start with these salad dressings and change the flavors to your taste, you can have seemingly endless salad varieties. I for one am hoping that my salad days go on for some more weeks and that my salad daze continues to be pleasant.

Basic Vinaigrette
You can use just about any vinegar here and add herbs and spices to your taste.

2 tablespoons wine or cider vinegar or citrus juice, or a combination
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
1 large pinch each sugar and kosher salt
a few grinds of pepper from a peppermill
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the vinegar or citrus juice, onion or shallot, sugar, salt and pepper. Let stand for a few minutes or up to 15 minutes if you have time.

2. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until emulsified and very well combined (or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid).

Serves 2


Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
This is nice on green salads with fruit.

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper from a peppermill
1/8 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)
2 tablespoons walnut oil

1. Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon juice, orange flower water salt and pepper. Gradually add walnut oil, whisking until well combined.

Serves 2


Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
pinch of salt
a few grinds of black pepper from a peppermill
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine vinegar, onion or shallot, salt and pepper. Let stand for a few minutes or up to 15 minutes if time allows.

2. Add honey and mustard. Whisk to combine. Add olive oil and whisk until well combined.

Serves 2


Buttermilk Herb Salad Dressing

1 small garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Finely chop the garlic. On the cutting board, add the salt to the garlic. Continue to chop, then make a paste by pressing and scraping the salt and garlic together with the flat side of the knife. Place the garlic paste in a small bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients the bowl and whisk well to combine.

Serves 4 to 5

*Community Supporte Agriculture