Dressing up a Salad

As promised, a post about vinegar and vinaigrettes. I have experimented with many vinegars, mostly because we enjoy homemade salad dressings as opposed to the store bought variety. I have many recipes for a wide range of dressings. But I prefer to just "wing it" using a few vinaigrette basics.

The basic ratio of vinegar to oil is 3-1. Three parts of your favorite oil to 1 part of the vinegar of your choice. Sometimes I even cut back on the vinegar(acid)and add a squeeze of orange, lemon or lime. Most any sweetner (ie... maple syrup, sugar, honey, artificial sweetners .....) can be used to sweeten the mix if you desire. I prefer my dressings somewhat sweet. My sweetner of choice is honey. Not only does honey serve as a sweetener, but it provides a thicker consistency for the dressing. And for a little kick, dijon mustard or a shot of tobasco works great. Or how about a dash of this and that from the spice rack. The sky is the limit on the number of concoctions you can put together. No measuring required. Just use the mix and taste method. (My favorite way to cook!)

Vinegar

I love to experiment with vinegar. For herbal vinegars with fresh cut herbs from the garden:

*Sterilize your bottles or jars by immersing them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool.

*Wash herbs thoroughly.

*Put four herb sprigs in each bottle and fill with 3 cups vinegar of your choice.

*Seal bottles with lids or corks.

*Store in a cool, dark place for three weeks to allow flavor to ripen.

I have also experimented with raspberry vinegar. We have a ton of wild raspberries here each summer. Raspberry vinegrette goes well with a salad sprinkled with a few berries of some kind. You get that mix of sweet and sour.

Raspberry Vinegar

6 cups Raspberries 1 quart Distilled White Vinegar (Heinz Natural If Available) 1/2 cup raw cane or date Sugar

Directions:
Place the berries in a large container. Bring the sugar and vinegar to a boil and pour over the berries. Stir and cover. Cool and refrigerate for 30 days. To process, strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth into a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into hot sterilized jars, cover and seal.

NOTE: This vinegar needs to sit for 30 days to attain its full body and flavor. Serve with salads, as a marinade for tofu, or for something unusual sprinkle over French fried sweet potatoes. Try using the vinegar in salad dressings.

Have fun Experimenting!