Two More Juicy Vinaigrettes To Add to Your Repertoire
Our last little vinaigrette treat was a hit; here, have two more!
WE DON’T MIND ADMITTING THAT we occasionally have kitchen disasters (or a succession of them) that throw us off our game. Let’s just say we got waylaid by a papaya and leave it at that. But don’t worry: We’ve recovered and have two simple summery non-papaya salad wonders coming up early next week. (We put the papaya on a time out, but we’re not giving up. Incidentally: Dogs love papaya.)
But since we noticed that everyone went cuckoo-bananas over that Fresh Peach Vinaigrette we recently sent out, we thought you might like an interstitial edition featuring two juicy dressings that will add some jazz hands to your everyday side salads and/or help you break up, even momentarily, with a go-to dressing that’s begun to bore you lately.
DID YOU KNOW? It takes two kinds of lettuce (🥬 + $$) to keep the Department of Salad going. The best way to support us, if you don’t already: Press the green button (and get full access to all the salad in our enormous archive). Or give a gift!
They’re both from an extremely overlooked (in my opinion) 2015 book, Seventy-Five Homemade Salad Dressings, an inspiring collection of recipes that would also make a great gift for all your salady friends. The book is apparently a clever recipe-card re-design of the original 2011 book, which was named Well Dressed: Salad Dressings. Either way, I’m glad I discovered this little treasure while browsing at my favorite vintage store.
I’m giving you two vinaigrettes that immediately jumped out at me. I loved the technique of condensing citrus juice for the first one (which also uses fresh thyme) and the combination of fennel and grapefruit juice in the other; plus grapefruit anything—I love it. If you flip the book over, the backs of the vinaigrette recipe cards feature creamy dressings.
I hope you enjoy these! In the meantime, we’ve opened the gates of our enormous garden (meaning the Department of Salad recipe index) and invite you all to have a leisurely stroll around on your way out. Just click below:
One small instructional note about the recipes: To toast your fennel seeds for the second dressing, simply place them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and let them toast, shaking the pan frequently, until they begin to emit their lovely fragrance, about 3 minutes. I crushed mine with my mortar and pestle, but you could put them in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin. Measure them again after you crush.
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*Recipe: Intense Citrus and Fresh Thyme Vinaigrette, from Seventy-Five Homemade Salad Dressings, by Jeff Keys
Makes about 1 cup
Jeff Keys’s Recipe Note: This dressing is appealing for its intense concentration of citrus flavors combined with the mellow touch of honey and fresh thyme. It's wonderful on any green salad and reaches perfection when drizzled over warm sliced beet and goat cheese salad.
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon finely diced sweet red onion
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup canola oil
Add the three citrus juices to a small saucepan and reduce the mixture to ⅓ cup over medium high heat. Remove from heat and add the onion and honey. Allow the mixture to cool. Pour into a small mixing bowl and swirl in the mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil and canola oil to blend. Stores well in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
RECIPE: Pink Grapefruit and Toasted Fennel Seed Vinaigrette, from Seventy-Five Homemade Salad Dressings, by Jeff Keys
Makes about 1 cup
Jeff Keys’s Recipe Note: This is a very fragrant vinaigrette to make in the winter to remind you of flowers and bees and the life that burst forth in spring.
¼ cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon mild-tasting honey
1 teaspoon crushed lightly toasted fennel seeds
½ cup mild tasting olive oil or a blend of extra virgin olive oil and light vegetable oil
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Blend all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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🥬 🥬🥬 🥬That’s It! We’re done here! We’ll see paid subscribers soon with two marvelous new salads.
OOOH I just peeled some roasted beets and I have goat cheese in my fridge! This will be dinner!
One other note: I've tried to suppress my Amazon habit and I succeeded in giving it up for Lent, but I had covid this week and Prime Day was too tempting. I bought a tiny blender that will sit on my counter *just* to make salad dressing. The Beast (that is really its name) came with three jars that each has a lid. I was a little disappointed that my mason jars didn't fit it, but the small size and nice design (and choice of colors) sold me. #happy!
Love that head note on 2nd 😍