Vinaigrette Dressings for Salads and Greens

VINAIGRETTES ARE PRIMARILY A MIXTURE OF OIL AND SOMETHING ACIDIC such as vinegar or lemon juice. They're the easiest of all dressings to make and variations are endless. There's little reason to buy commercial vinaigrettes, most which contain the cheapest oils and a slew of chemicals.

You'll need a small glass bowl, a set of measuring spoons, and a fork or whisk. A blender or food processor is helpful but neither is absolutely necessary (unless the recipe includes an ingredient that should be pulverized).

• Oils. Where I list canola, you can easily substitute other vegetable oils (I especially like safflower and sunflower oils).
• Olive Oil. For everyday use, choose a readily available brand such as Colavita or Berio. See olive oil tips.
• Flax and Walnut Oils. Not the most common oils, but their flavors blend beautifully in dressings and dips. Look for them in the health or natural food section of the supermarket.
• Herbed Vinegar. Herbed vinegars are sold everywhere or you can easily make your own. One of the best for vinaigrettes is tarragon vinegar. Use it in recipes such as Maple Syrup Herbed Vinaigrette.
  
  
• Garlic. Minced raw garlic is OK, but some prefer the less intense sweetness of roasted garlic. It's easy: Put unpeeled garlic cloves in an ungreased frying pan and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Remove, peel, and mash the softened garlic. Another way to give just a hint of garlic: Cut a peeled garlic clove in half, then rub the inside of the mixing bowl with the garlic. Discard the garlic clove. This also works nicely for individual salad serving dishes.
• Fresh herbs. Good fresh herb choices are flat-leaf parsley, mint, chives, basil, tarragon and chervil. With vinaigrette dressings, do this: Just before serving to individual plates, add finely chopped herbs and vinaigrette to salad and toss.
• Vinaigrettes and marinades. When using sliced cucumbers, tomatoes or sliced onions in the salad, marinate (soak) them in the prepared vinaigrette. Just before serving, toss the vinaigrette and marinated vegetables with the lettuce and salad greens.

Oil and vinegar separate after a few minutes; give a quick whisking just before serving. For dressings containing olive oil, bring the dressing to room temperature before serving, then whisk (olive oil hardens when refrigerated — which is why olive oil normally shouldn't be stored in a refrigerator).