Killer Salad Recipes

Salads are said to be simple. “What’ll you have?” - “Oh, just a salad will do for me.”

This is the part I find difficult to understand. Yes, it can be simple: it can be simple to prepare which is fine and it can be simple in its construction, which may be fine too. We should draw a line in the simplicity of thought put in to your salad’s conception.

What is a salad? A bunch of lettuce with a few other ingredients chosen, perhaps, for their colour and the whole covered in oil?

I hope not.

Salad basic number one - vinaigrette.

What is vinaigrette? Well, if it weren’t a salad dressing I wouldn’t be writing about it here. It’s a salad dressing. Not only is it a salad dressing but it is the element of your salad that’ll make the difference - this guy can change your collection of garden grown produce and dairy and seafood additions from a colourful mixture into a taste-bud exploding heavenly experience. This is the guy, too, who you will thank when your friends, family, neighbours and enemies talk of that salad!

Remember his name - Vinaigrette.

The basic rule of a vinaigrette is to mix 2 parts of oil with 1 part of vinegar; to add mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Simple, right? Yes - and in it’s basic form it’ll enhance any salad. But why not make use of the resources that are available to us in the 21st century? Which oil to use? Which vinegar? Which mustard? Which salt and which pepper? These are questions that I ask myself based on the ingredients.

Any meal requires a balance of flavours - and that includes your salad. Think about the taste that a cider vinegar might bring to your vinaigrette. Wonder when you might prefer an oil infused with chillies or basil.

Don’t rely on the “flavoured” oils available on the supermarket shelf, make some yourself. I tend to do this as I prefer a mixed oil to the general olive oil generally used in these commercial preparations.

I’ll be back soon with a practical application of a home grown vinaigrette using home infused ginger oil.

Don’t miss it, it could be your killer salad! Take care
HK
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