Simple Salad Dressing

My friend over at Victor Axe + Tool inspired this post.  Victor went to high school with Blake and I, and we have always been very interested in supporting small local companies, especially those we actually know.  When Victor first opened shop, Blake didn't hesitate to order an axe, and I must say that it is beautiful.  The axes are all hand crafted and they are so gorgeous, we've displayed it in our house as a piece of art work.  Victor is running a "Give Away" contest on his Instagram account where you had to post a photo of an item that will 'Live On.'  The photo I chose to take was of my grandmothers juicer.  My mother just passed this down to me, and I love it! Many of the recipes I post on here include marinades or salad dressings, and so this beautiful and vintage juicer gets used a lot now that I have it.  Since the summer time usually involves a lot of salads and grilling, I decided to post the basics to making a simple but delicious vinaigrette. Once you have the basics then you can start adding in your own unique flavors depending on what you're in the mood for. I do not buy salad dressings from the grocery store any more.  They are filled with far too many ingredients that are not necessary and God knows there is so much sugar in them, it defeats the purpose of eating a salad.  If I want to consume a 1/2 cup of sugar, I'll eat some Haribo candy (which happens far too often). 


INGREDIENTS:
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup vinegar (I tend to use Apple Cider Vinegar, but whatever you have on hand is fine)
2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
4 Tbs. Honey 
1/2 cup oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Mix the lemon, vinegar, dijon, honey, and salt and pepper with a fork until well combined.  The dijon mustard will help to emulsify the mixture so the oil and vinegar doesn't separate instantaneously. Make sure to use enough seasoning.  The salt and pepper are the key component to making a good vinaigrette. No matter what cool items you add, the vinaigrette will lack its wonderfulness if you skimp on the seasoning.  Add a pinch, taste, and then adjust until you feel it's got the perfect amount.

2.  While whisking the vinegar mixture with your fork, begin to drizzle in the oil with your other hand (make sure you have a good grip on the oil.... once I dropped the entire bottle and spilled it all over our kitchen!).  I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but you could also use vegetable oil if that is all you have, or if you do not like the flavor of the EVOO. 

3.  Get creative! Now that our garden is up and running, I love to add herbs and other items.  For example, for marinades I love to add rosemary. For a Caprese salad, you could add basil, mint, or parsley.  The creativity does not have to end there! You can add roasted garlic, greated onions, jalapenos, spices, different vinegars, etc.

Tasty Tip: If you use EVOO as your oil, don't panic if when you put it in the fridge it begins to solidify.  Olive Oil has higher fat content than Vegetable oil and so the fat will begin to solidify once cold.  Just take it out and let it sit on the counter or nuke it for 5-10 seconds in the microwave, and you will be all set to go. If this creeps you out, use Vegetable oil and it will stay in a liquid state even once in the fridge.