Cooking Cove: What the best dressed salads are wearing

By Barbara Beltrami

Dressing a salad is a lot like dressing oneself. Just as clothes should compliment the body, so should dressing enhance the salad type. If one sticks to the basic elements of oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper and maybe some herbs or garlic or a dab of mustard in good proportion, it is hard to go wrong. 

Keeping in mind the kind of salad being dressed and other ingredients impinging on the flavor, a basic ratio of three to four parts oil to one part vinegar or lemon juice usually is fail-safe. With so many varieties of salad greens available these days, it is particularly important to dress them appropriately. 

From gorgeous leafy lettuces like Boston and bibb and romaine to escarole, green leaf, red leaf and frisee to mesclun and baby leafy greens, choices abound. Then there are radicchio, Belgian endive and arugula with their slightly bitter or sparky flavor. 

If they are genuinely fresh, they all deserve the highest quality ingredients for dressings that enhance their textures and taste. And for that you can’t do any better than vinaigrettes made from extra virgin olive, hazelnut, pumpkin seed, grape seed or walnut oils complimented by fine vinegars like balsamic, wine or raspberry or freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh herbs and seasonings. 

Forget about packaged, processed or powdered ingredients and save those heavy ranch and Roquefort dressings for otherwise tasteless iceberg wedges. Go with a nicely balanced vinaigrette and let the salad itself be the center of attraction.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

YIELD: Makes about ⅔ to ¾ cup.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon sugar or honey

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Crush raspberries and push through a small wire strainer. In a small or medium bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of the raspberry puree, raspberry vinegar, lemon juice and sugar. Continuously and vigorously whisking, add oil, salt and pepper and toss with salad just before serving, no sooner. Serve at room temperature with any delicate salad greens, fresh baby spinach or greens of your choice.

Dijon Vinaigrette

YIELD: Makes about ⅔ cup.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, shallot and garlic. Gradually whisk in the oil, salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with a salad of mixed greens or any greens of choice.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

YIELD: Makes one cup.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the vinegar, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. When mixture is thoroughly blended, still vigorously whisking, gradually drizzle in the oil. Serve at room temperature with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and red onion or any greens of your choice.