I was excited to find this "How To" on
my CSA's blog about Salad Dressing. I've been enjoying making some using oil, vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar. But I love all these ideas! You guys have any homemade dressing faves? Below is reposted from Avalon-Acres.com.
The Science of Salad DressingsI can't wait for all those early harvest greens. True story. I haven't bought a bottle of salad dressing in over 2 years! OK, I still need Hidden Valley Ranch occasionally for dipping, but once I realized how easy it is to make my own dressing, I said goodbye to Newman's Own forever. Vinegar and oil. The most boring items on the salad bar. They sit, shoved in a corner, unused. While all the tasty dressings are downed by the bucketful. At home, it's a different story. Vinegar and oil are King and Queen. They are the building blocks for tons of tasty dressings that break down into several interchangeable components. Master one and you've mastered them all.
Oil • Vinegar • Citrus • SeasoningThat's it! Let's break it down further:
Oil - Any oil works, but I almost always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Grape seed oil or canola will also work. I sometimes mix in sesame oil or chili oil with the EVOO for extra flavor. Quick recipe for garlic infused oil - Crush a garlic clove in a small bowl and just cover with oil. Put it in the microwave uncovered for about 15-20 seconds until you hear it sizzle.
Vinegar - Red wine, white wine, balsamic, white balsamic (new favorite), cider, rice wine etc.
Citrus - You really can't go wrong here. You'd be surprised how good a little fresh squeezed grapefruit can be.
Seasoning - Here's where your creativity can run wild. I usually start with a little S&P and sugar. Sugar interacts great with vinegar and is the secret in a lot of great dressing recipes. Chopped herbs, dried herbs, mustard, steak seasoning, soy sauce, honey, granulated onion and garlic, Cajun seasoning, dill, etc.
Just about anything in your spice rack and herb garden can add flavor to your dressing.
The proportions really come down to taste w/ a few general guidelines:Use about 1/2 the amount of vinegar as oil. A 1:2 ratio. If you don't have citrus, thin your dressing with a little splash of water. Use about the same amount of salt as sugar. When I'm making dressing for 2 I usually use about 1/2 teaspoon of both. Using raw garlic? Make your dressing about an hour ahead of time for a more mellow flavor. However, sometimes I like the bite of fresh garlic, but I'm weird like that. That's it! the possibilities are endless. Here are three combinations to get you started:
Garlic infused olive oil, small amount of sesame oil, white vinegar, fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, honey and toasted sesame seeds.
Garlic infused olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, S&P, sugar and lots of finely chopped flat leaf parsley and basil.
Garlic infused olive oil (are you seeing a trend here?), balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, S&P, sugar and chopped toasted walnuts or almonds.
OK, 1 more tip: Like the creamy dressings? substitute 1/2 mayonnaise and 1/2 sour cream or yogurt for the oil. Reduce the vinegar ratio to 4:1 and thin w/ citrus and/or water.
The CSA is getting much easier these days. But I'm bracing for the influx of okra which will soon be upon us. Here's this week's produce: cauliflower, yellow zucchini, garlic, potatoes, green beans, cucumber, cabbage, squash, beets, onion & green pepper. 
And Look at all these flowers from our garden! What beauty!
Finally, here's the aerial shot of our veggie garden, with a few flowers thrown in. We've got some tomatoes, corn, blueberries, peas, lettuces, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, herbs, pumpkin, asparagus & squash. Can't wait to make homemade salsa from our tomatoes, peppers & cilantro!
