Dressing up your Greens!
Spring into early summer is the time of year for green salads. I eat a huge one every day. The nutrients, phytochemicals and chlorophyl are so good for my body: I always feel so clean after eating lots of salad. The variety of greens available is amazing, from mild Bibb lettuces to spicy mustard and arugula, to textured corn salad and sprouts. Sometimes I get tired of eating plain green salads, and the tomatoes aren’t going to be ready here in Jersey for a few more weeks. This is when I try out a few new dressing recipes, and then I am in green salad love once again!
My standby dressing which my husband, Sandy, loves is very simple:
In a small Mason jar, combine roughly equal parts of the best extra-virgin olive oil and either fig or pear vinegar. I like either Dr. Fuhrman’s fig vinegar (very pricey!!) or a brand named Alessio which I find in the Stop & Shop. To this I add a heaping spoon of grainy Dijon mustard and a few shakes of Celtic sea salt and fresh pepper. Shake well, and enjoy.
With a bit more effort, the following dressing is still simple enough, and wonderful on a fresh green salad with some early cucumbers and maybe shaved carrots.
In a suribachi or mortar and pestle, mash together 2 cloves of garlic with some Celtic sea salt and a grinding of pepper. Add this to a small Mason jar as well as 1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard, 2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 Tb rice wine vinegar abd 3/4 cup of EVOO. Shake like mad, and enjoy! I suppose you could try different citrus juices, perhaps lime or orange for a bit of variety, although I haven’t done that yet.
Another simple SIMPLE dressing I made by accident! While making a beach lunch last weekend, I had tossed some greens from the local market in a container with some leftover mulberries and strawberries , biked down to the store and bought a cheap bottle of balsamic vinegar and left with Sandy for the beach. By the time we got settled on the beach, I found that most of the berries had gotten a bit mashed in amongst the greens, so I just sprinkled on some of the balsamico and dove in with my fork. WOW. I knew berries went well with balsamic vinegar, but I had never really entertained the idea of eating them as a dressing of sorts over greens. I have to tell you, this atop fresh arugula and Bibb lettuce was phenomenal. Please give it a try!