How To: Make Vinaigrette
Brittany wrote this on 15 September 2011
Hello again! I have returned after a long vacation, international travel (we went to Canada), and some life changing events! I should probably let you all know that my husband and I are expecting baby #3 next spring, just in case you wonder why the food I am cooking might be a little random. If I post a recipe for garlic ice cream in February, now you know why. Also, I can pretty much guarantee some future posts about homemade baby food!
So thank you for your patience! With the exception of some nausea that may interrupt the regularity of my recipe posting, food will once again come at you more frequently. Just in time too! We are officially at the start of my favorite season-FALL! Even if the 50 degree day today didn’t convince me of it, the acorns hitting my roof like hail would definitely clue me in! I am positively giddy with all the recipes I want to test, create, and make again to share with all of you! Spices, roasting meats, baked fruit concoctions, pastas, and of course, holiday food! Just in case you are cringing at the future calorie total of all this food, don’t be alarmed yet. While I can guarantee that there will be dishes and desserts that are definitely…well…indulgent-i.e. Farmer’s Pasta with four cheeses will make you absolutely swoon!-I just don’t cook that way all the time. There will be plenty of food that won’t weigh you down during the chilly months!As for today’s recipe, making homemade salad dressing is one of those things that I think people are kind of scared of! Am I right? Years ago, when I was younger, thinner, and less wise, I sent a summer working in a fine dining restaurant. I was a daytime sous (prep) chef and spent my mornings making salads and cassoulet, peeling 5 gallon buckets of onions, sneaking tastes of the chocolate ganache, whipping up chutneys and sauces, cleaning calamari, peeling and deveining shrimp, roasting insane amounts of garlic potatoes, tackling a plethora of other tasks….and making salad dressings. When I was first given a stack of secret recipes and told to “make these” I wasn’t too alarmed. The top of the list was a ranch-style dressing and then a bleu cheese. Mmmm…bleu cheese dressing. I had sort of thrown those together before so no surprise there. But the third recipe in the pile was French. I just stared at it and blinked. Homemade French dressing? Seriously? Did people really make this stuff themselves? Apparently they did! I skimmed the recipe, wondering what all went into French dressing other than something red and obviously some sugar. Thirty minutes later with my half dozen bowls of homemade dressings, I was totally converted. Made from scratch dressing, French or otherwise, was absolutely fantastic. It made a big impression on me and even though I do not currently have a fridge full of my own dressing creations, there are a few that I rarely purchase. A vinaigrette is one of them. It literally takes just seconds to make and can be thrown together in the exact quantity you need. Fresh and fantastic every time with only a few pantry ingredients needed.
These cooler temperatures are producing another round of fresh garden greens and radishes. If you wonder about the sudden reappearance of lettuce at your Farmer’s Market, it is because most greens thrive in chilly weather. This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this spring vegetable! It won’t be back for long! A simple vinaigrette on tender greens, thinly sliced apple or pear, maybe some purple onion, some toasted pecans or walnuts, and a handful of dried cranberries make a perfect fall salad. Healthy, beautiful, and with a bit of roast chicken or bacon and crumbled bleu cheese, a satisfying supper. Light and easy, it will help off set the affects of that four cheese pasta I was telling you about. But we will worry about that later!! One Year Ago: Good Lookin’ Man Potatoes
Simple Vinaigrette
This recipe is really just a method, as most of my How To recipes are. As long as you have a fat (olive oil) and an acid (vinegar or citrus juice) you can’t go wrong. Although I personally never make one with out a sweetener. I just love that whole sweet and sour combination!
I don’t really ever measure, but just in case you need a point of reference, I have tried to include measurements, or at least ratios, to give you a jumping off point. Feel free to alter as your tastes determine. Start off with the large bowl you are actually going to serve the salad in. Directly into the bottom of the bowl, add about 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. This is totally optional. I like the flavor it adds and the mustard will allow your dressing to emulsify, but it can easily be skipped. Please note that if you don’t like mustard, you don’t really actually taste it in here. Next add your sweetener at about 2-1 or 3-1. So if you add 1 tsp of mustard, drizzle in 2 tsp or even 1 T of honey. Whisk together in the bottom of the bowl. Next add your acid. In this case, red wine vinegar. Any good vinegar or citrus juice will do. About 2 tablespoons. Whisk it all well. Finally, your fat. Extra virgin olive oil is perfect because you will taste the fruity flavor of it in this dressing. You need about 1/4 of a cup. Fat to acid is about 2-1, but add more vinegar if you like the tangy taste. Whisk it all well. Season with salt and pepper and then taste it.
If it is too creamy, add a few more drops of vinegar. If it is too sour, add just a bit more honey. Tweak it just how you want, but use small incerments. I like to do a final taste on an actual piece of lettuce. Then I know just how the flavor will be when I serve it. And you are done!! This whole bowl can set out on the counter for several hours until you need it. Just add the lettuce to the bowl and toss it together. This is enough dressing to lightly dress a 6-8 oz package of greens. Don’t forget that this vinaigrette is so easy to change. Use a citrus juice instead of vinegar. Try maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in place of the honey and red wine vinegar. Also, feel free to triple the amounts and store in the fridge to use for several weeks. Just remember to use a light hand at first. You can always add more if you need to!
Enjoy!
Summer Berry Pudding
Brittany wrote this on 8 September 2011
There is this recipe of Ina’s that I have been wanting to make for years. Yes, I know I have been cooking from her books a lot lately, but this one really sticks out in my mind during the summer, for obvious reasons. It is stunning to look at and uses very simple ingredients; just like most of her recipes. When we had company over recently, I was thrilled to be able to finally give this a try. Ummm…yeah. So it is fantastic. It has to sit overnight so it is the perfect dessert to make ahead of time when you don’t want to be messing with stuff the day of an event. So beautiful.
One Year Ago: Stuffed Shells
Summer Berry Pudding
This is a traditional English dessert and I will mention again-it needs to sit overnight, so plan ahead. Absolutely serve it with fresh whipped cream.
1-1 lb container of strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into fourths
1 pint of raspberries
1 pint of blueberries
1 1/2 c sugar
1 loaf of brioche or sweet Italian bread
Combine fruit and sugar in a large saucepan with a splash of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved and the fruit starts to break down, remove from heat and set aside. Slice the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices and, if desired, remove the crusts. Spoon a ladle full of the berry sauce into the bottom of a 3-4 inch high, 6-7 inch round baking dish. You want just enough to coat the bottom. Cover with a layer of bread slices, cutting to fit so that it is completely covered in one layer. Generously spoon another ladle of berries and sauce over the bread, covering it all. Add another layer of bread and so on until you reach the top of the dish. Soak the last layer good-don’t skimp! Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set a plate on top that is slightly smaller than the baking dish. Weight the top with a can of soup or something else that will stay. Place the whole thing into the fridge and let set overnight. When you are ready to serve it, run a small knife along the outside edge and invert onto a serving plate. Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream.
Basic Granola
Brittany wrote this on 3 September 2011
Hello all! I am currently in the middle of a family vacation so this post comes to you from a hotel lobby! Recipes may not be quite as frequent for a few weeks, but I still have a few things ready to share with you!
Speaking of on the road, one of the snacks we have packed for munching in the car is granola. Several months ago I was planning for this trip and started collecting all my recipes for granola, figuring I could eliminate a few on site and then just whip up a couple batches and choose our favorites. Badda bing. Badda boom. Turns out, it is not that simple. Where one recipe may be made with brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon, another might be maple syrup, canola oil, honey and orange juice. The oat, nut, and dried fruit combos didn’t bother me because those I could mix and match to suit our tastes. But the actual syrup base that gets poured over everything, making it crunchy and toasty-endless combinations. The other problem I had was that they all tasted good. I mean, other than maybe bland, have you ever had bad granola? I didn’t think so. It is good for you, crunchy, sweet, great on yogurt, and if you grew up in my parent’s house, usually served dumped in a bowl with milk. Whats not to like?! How could I choose?
So this is what I did. I tested and tweaked and came up with my own basic recipe. Nothing fancy, minimum ingredients, least amount of steps. That is what I was going for. I still have a stack of ideas for other, more complicated, and I am sure just as good, granola recipes. But when I want to make it in bulk, fast and simple for everyday use, this is now my plain, base recipe. Good crunch and good flavor. Great sprinkled on yogurt, ice cream, stirred into cookies, or added to trail mix. Or go old school and just dump it in a bowl with milk.
One Year Ago: Spiced Peach Jam
Granola
This will keep for several weeks in an airtight container. If you want to make a double batch, it freezes for several months as well.
3 c rolled oats-not quick cooking
1 c sliced almonds
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans (or a mix of the two)
1 c shredded sweetened coconut
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl mix together the last two ingredients. Pour over the oat mixture and mix and toss until thoroughly combined. Dump onto a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toasted to desired color. Be sure to stir it every ten minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Add dried fruit of your choice.
Note: You can use honey in place of the maple syrup, but we found we liked the flavor of the maple better. Feel free to change it up if you like.