by S Vitrolica

Created on: July 13, 2009

One of the first things I noticed in the grocery store here in France was the very small selection of ready made salad dressings. After trying one or two, I was quite disappointed, until learning that most people don't eat these, or only do so in a bind.

One of the simplest secrets to putting a little bit of Provence in your meal, should salad be included, is making your own dressing.

It only takes one or two minutes, so I personally don't make more than we will consume for the meal that we are preparing to eat, but many people do multiply the quantities and store it in the refrigerator.

I happen to prefer doing it each time, for two main reasons -I generally use garlic, which tends to get stronger the longer it sits in the oil, so after a few days it can be quite pungent. Secondly, I like to tweak and vary the recipe according to what I happen to be serving in a main course, so that the flavors complement each other.

The recipe (for one use if you want to make more, just multiply the proportions.)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp rapeseed or canola oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 large garlic clove

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

salt & pepper

Mince garlic, add olive oil, canola oil and mustard. Stir briskly with a fork or wire whisks. Add balsamic vinegar. Stir again, until mixture thickens. Salt and pepper according to taste.

I like to do it directly in a large salad bowl, so I can put the leafy greens on top of the vinagrette, and then toss them, making sure it has coated the the salad thouroughly.

Of course, there are so many variations to this dressing, and with a basic recipe like this you can do almost anything you might imagine. My mother in law makes the same recipe, only with (homemade, of course) red wine vinegar and no mustard, and it is delicious! I sometimes use apple cider or hazlenut or raspberry vinegar instead of basalmic. Also, feel free to substitue shallots for garlic, or you can even subtract it entirely from the recipe if you don't want to frighten any vampires!

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