Tomorrow we can officially say good-bye to winter and hello to the first crops of spring. Okay, maybe we're jumping the gun a bit, but why not just get the ball rolling?
Tender micro-greens are often available year-round, but in spring they really come into their own. This is a great time to talk about salad dressings. Let us know what your favorite way is to dress your greens and we'll get some recipes coming out of the Kitchn test kitchen, just for your pretty spring self.
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I like playing with spices, especially ginger. A little ginger, lemon, and chunky salt and a good oil (like that walnut oil) are all very good.
Olive oil, equal amount of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, few drops (quite a few) of sesame oil, crushed garlic, salt & pepper and a pinch of dill, either fresh or dried.
I make a shallot/mustard vinaigrette with sushi vinegar and olive oil.
Right. I answered "nothing! I like it raw!" and then realized that was a bit of a lie. While that's true most of the time, my other favorite thing is orange juice (or any other citrus, really). Just squeeze a wedge of orange or lime on that baby and get to it. Om nom nom...
I just tried this last night: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, salt and pepper. Just throw some greens and half grape tomatoes in a bowl, put some carrot shavings on top and the dressing. Very light, very fresh. It will be a regular at my house.
Every time I bring a green salad to parties, I get bombarded with compliments and requests for this dressing recipe. I almost feel guilty because it's so easy:
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper
I often do olive oil and vinegar; I always have both of these on hand, since they're not really perishable. But I actually prefer a pureed avocado, with some lemon juice and a clove of garlic (and some salt, of course) and just a few drops of water if necessary, to loosen it up enough to blend smoothly.
I usually mix up some balsamic and olive oil, with a splash of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Very tasty on a greens salad with a sprinkle of feta cheese.
I make a version of Doppelganger's dressing, adding mustard and yogurt (ma proportions are a bit different). It is a great dressing for salads with segmented grapefruit (no skin) and greens, maybe with avocado...
I mash raspberries and honey (or a spoonful of raspberry preserves if I'm feeling lazy) into a good balsamic vinegar. Really light and very delicious!
My spring vinaigrette would have shallot, lemon zest, champagne vinegar and tarragon.