Nobody in our family does a green salad like my stepmother, Peggy T. It’s a well known fact. So much so that Ed rarely eats salad in our house unless Peggy makes it. It all changed last fall when I suggested that Ed ‘own’ salad making and that perhaps Peggy could give him some training. Peggy embraced the challenge and proceeded to put together a salad kit for Ed for Christmas complete with this recipe. 

To help illustrate this point… In the early 2000s we were vacationing as a family up on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. These were the days before there were regular farmers markets or stands. But Peggy found a small farm stand with some of the best lettuce. The leaves were so good we were eating them plain. We took turns stopping at this farm stand to ensure we had a constant supply.

Peggy continues to make an effort to find the best greens around – usually from one of our local farmers markets. She also puts care into thinking about what ingredients will work well with those greens (perfectly ripe avocados are a favorite). But even her ‘greens only’ salads are great. The real key is the dressing. My dressings tend to be more vinegar-forward while Peggy’s are more oil-forward (and more appealing to Ed).

It doesn’t take much to make good dressing – good quality ingredients (flavorful extra-virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar in this case) plus the right proportions (3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio) is really all you need. Think of this dressing as a base as you can use a different vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice (an acid like vinegar), or add fresh herbs to dress it up. If you haven’t tried white balsamic vinegar it is more mild and less sweet than traditional balsamic vinegar.

We follow the European style of eating salad when dining at home – enjoying it at the end of the main course rather than as a separate first course like you see at most restaurants. At family dinners there’s a salad ritual. The salad bowl is typically on the table and is passed around so everyone gets some after the rest of the main course is done. But there’s always a bit left so we send it around the table again to ensure that we finish it off. And, we always do – that’s the sign of a good salad.

While I wanted to share Peggy’s recipe with all of you, putting it on Riegl Palate means I don’t have to keep track of the paper copy of the recipe. Ed will always know where to find it. 

Peggy’s Vinaigrette

 

Peggy’s Vinaigrette
5.0 from 2 reviews
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Recipe type: Salad
Author:
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
  • Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely minced fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley and/or tarragon)
Instructions
  1. Place 1 teaspoon of minced shallot in a small glass container.
  2. Using small whisk, blend 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste with shallot.
  3. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified (well blended).
  4. Taste and add additional tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar if needed.
  5. If using fresh herbs, whisk into dressing.
  6. Allow to sit for a few hours for flavors to marry.
  7. Serve with your favorite salad greens.
  8. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps for 2 to 3 weeks.
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