basics365: Summer Vinaigrette

July 6, 20141 Comment

Homemade vinaigrette is a fast, easy, delicious way to dress up fresh summer produce.  It’s cheaper and healthier than bottled salad dressings, and you can customize it with your favorite flavors–what’s not to love?

5 Ways to Dress Up Summer Meals with Homemade Vinaigrette

1. Drizzle vinaigrette on hot roasted potatoes and string beans for a summer salad.
2. Pour over hot pasta, garbanzo beans, and chopped vegetables for a pasta salad.
3. Toss roasted vegetables in vinaigrette, and serve on a antipasto platter with Italian meats and cheeses.
4. Dress fresh summer greens, cucumbers, sweet onion, and tomatoes for a simple garden salad.
5. Marinate chicken breasts in vinaigrette for 2 hours before grilling.

Making Vinaigrette Basics:

• The basic ratio of oil (fat) to vinegar (acid) for vinaigrette is 3:1. So, for every 3 parts of fat (olive oil, walnut oil, bacon fat) use 1 part of acid (vinegars, citrus juice, even leftover pickle juice). Knowing this basic ratio allows you to make as much or as little as you want. Once you have that measured out you can add other ingredients that will adjust flavor and texture, like mustards, chopped shallots, garlic, spices, herbs, etc…
• Use high quality ingredients. The flavors will really stand out so use your best oils and vinegars for dressings.
• Taste the vinaigrette, and adjust the seasonings for your own tastes. You can follow a basic recipe, but you won’t mess it up by adding/adjusting the amounts.
• Adding ingredients like Dijon mustard will add more body to vinaigrette, and will help keep the oil and vinegar from separating as easily.
• Mixing vinaigrette is easy using a fork, but if you really want the ingredients to combine successfully, use a whisk to add oil to the rest of the ingredients, or use an immersion or regular blender. An easy option that works well is to put all the ingredients in a glass jar, close the lid, and shake everything together vigorously.
• Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Mix it well again before using.

Mark Bittman’s Basic Vinaigrette Recipe from How to Cook Everything
This is a great basic recipe to which you can add other flavors. The shallot in this recipe adds great depth and sweetness to balance the oil and vinegar.

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons or more good wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large shallot (about 1 ounce), cut into chunks (optional)

1. Combine all the ingredients except the shallot in a blender, and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you.

2. Add the shallot and turn the machine on and off a few times until the shallot is minced within the dressing. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Variations: 

• make a sweeter dressing by using canola oil, balsamic, Dijon mustard and honey.
• use flavored vinegars, like raspberry.
• add different kinds of mustards, like Dijon or a grained mustard for flavor and texture.
• add minced fresh herbs, like tarragon, dill, basil or oregano; use citrus juice to replace, or in combination with, the vinegar.
• add other aromatics like minced garlic, scallions, or grated ginger.
• use about 4 tablespoons of sour cream, mayonnaise, or buttermilk to make a creamy dressing.

Sharon’s Summer Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (Katz and Co.)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (Katz and Co.)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1.  Mix vinegar, pepper, salt, and Dijon mustard in small glass jar.  2.  Pour in olive oil while stirring to emulsify.  3.  Put lid on jar, and shake vigorously.  Enjoy! *Katz and Co. makes artisan olive oils and vinegars and is available on-line and in some specialty markets.

And one more variation from our fellow blogger Jennifer Miller and salad-maker-extrodinaire:  Jenn’s Not-So-Basic-Vinaigrette Dressing 

Pour it on!