Salad Dressing of the Week: Sherry Vinegar and Hazelnut Vinaigrette

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Salad Dressing of the Week: Sherry Vinegar and Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Last night I was having dinner with some of my favorite lady friends, and we were talking about salad dressings, as you do with your lady friends. They were saying that they each always make their same standby dressing, and were enjoying this new blog feature to help get out of their ruts.

We shared what each of our quick, don't have to think about it, dressing recipes are, and I had forgotten that for the longest time this one was mine. The mellow rounded sweetness of the sherry vinegar and the rich roasted nuttiness of the hazelnut oil are a combination that is tough to beat. It also makes one of my favorite birthday or hostess gifts. A bottle of each, and perhaps some great salad servers, have yet to make anyone unhappy.

Use this dressing as an excuse to use up any hazelnuts that are left over in your pantry from some long-forgotten holiday cookie recipe. I love subtly mirroring the dressing in the salad ingredients.


	Sherry Vinegar and Hazelnut Vinaigrette by Catie Baumer Schwalb 1 part sherry vinegar (Get the best you can find. This is one of those ingredients it does make a difference, and does last a long time.) 3 parts roasted hazelnut oil salt, to taste Combine vinegar and salt in a bowl, stirring gently to combine. In a slow, thin, even stream, drizzle the oil into the vinegar while whisking constantly. Taste by dipping a salad leaf into the dressing. Adjust salt, if desired.

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une

Salad Dressing of the Week: Fresh Oregano and Dijon Vinaigrette

For another step in my continued fight to close down the salad dressing aisle in grocery stores, I'll offer you a homemade salad dressing recipe each week.

Fresh oregano certainly has a pronounced flavor, but actually so much more mellow and herbal and complex than what dried drab green flecks and pizza restaurant shakers have lead you to believe. We had this dressing last night on crisp fresh red leaf romaine, a small handful of fresh sorrel leaves (both sliced into ribbons, both from our garden), cucumber, and a generous handful of toasted sesame seeds.

This vinaigrette would also be incredible on a salad of baby spinach, chickpeas and sliced hardboiled egg, or as a base for a potato salad.

Also, P.S., oregano is probably the most idiot-proof herb to grow, super hearty, pops up first in the spring and faithfully returns each year. Grab a plant and stick it almost anywhere in your yard now for years of salad dressings and marinaras to come.


	Fresh Oregano and Dijon Vinaigrette by Catie Baumer Schwalb Makes enough to dress one 4-person salad. 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, depending on how mellow or sharp you prefer the flavor Combine vinegar and oregano leaves in a medium sized bowl, bruising leaves gently with a whisk to infuse the vinegar a bit. Allow to sit for a few minutes. Add dijon mustard and a small pinch of salt and black pepper, and whisk gently to combine. In a thin, slow, constant stream, pour the olive oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking constantly. After adding three tablespoons of oil, check the flavor. If it feels a little tart or too strong, add an additional bit of oil to round out the flavor. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

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Sesame Roasted Asparagus

Something to do with asparagus right now...(and what I'm having for dinner.)


	asparagus olive oil salt sesame oil toasted sesame seeds (a mixture of white and black, if available) Heat oven to 350° F. Toss asparagus stalks in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast asparagus at 350° on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, until tender. Depending on the thickness of the stalks they will take about 15-20 minutes. Half way through roasting gently move the stalks around, turning them over to cook evenly. Allow the asparagus to cool slightly. Dress with a delicate drizzle of sesame oil. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and toss to combine. Serve as the base of a frisee or mixed greens salad topped with a poached egg and a very lemony vinaigrette.

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ctober

One more bit of cherry tomato inspiration with which to send you off into the weekend…

I just discovered the Telepan TV channel on youtube. Bill Telepan is one of my most favorite NYC chefs, who I had the great, great pleasure of cooking with for many months that the start of his inspirational and important Wellness in the Schools school lunch campaign.

He has started to put together videos, sharing some of his incredible recipes from his incredible restaurant Telepan. The three recipes using cherry tomatoes in the video above are making me very. very. hungry.

Run! and get some cherry tomatoes at the markets this weekend while they are still available (we had a frost at our house last night!).

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ugust

Roasted Nectarine and Zucchini Salad

Here is a quick recipe I dreamt up, while on my roasted produce kick this week, using what is in abundance in the gardens and at the market. Thankfully, it turned out to be heavenly, lick-the-bowl-clean good.

There is a magical, sum is definitely greater than it's parts, result here, as with many very simple summer dishes (think: Tomatoes+Basil+Olive Oil.). Sweet and sour and earthy and salty and bright and crunchy all going on in your mouth together. Roasting the nectarines and zucchini really intensifies their flavor and makes them both feel like vegetables...or fruit...or something new and unique completely. A beautiful side dish for any summer meal, I imagine this would also be spectacular atop grilled fish, pork, or chicken.


	ROASTED NECTARINE AND ZUCCHINI SALAD by Catie Schwalb Serves 4 as a side dish. 2 medium zucchini, about 5 cups cubed 4 nectarines, about 3 cups cubed (I used yellow nectarines, which are slightly more tart than the white.) salt, to taste 1/4 + 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/4 tablespoons lemon juice 4 ounces feta cheese 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted Heat oven to 425 F. Toss zucchini and nectarines separately in a 1/4 cup of olive oil total between the two, just enough so they have a slight sheen. Season with a good pinch of salt. Taste, and add more if necessary. Place nectarines and zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Keep them separate as they will be finished at different times. Place in the top half of the oven. After about 10 minutes check the zucchini and nectarines. If starting to brown on one side, gently turn over with a spatula. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness of your produce and the size of your pieces. For a half inch cube, my nectarines took 12 minutes and zucchini took 22 minutes. Check them again in a few minutes, and taste a piece to check for doneness. Remove from the oven when they are brown on the edges and tender, but not mushy, all the way through. Spread out on a plate or cool baking sheet and allow to cool. Either chill or leave at room temperature. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and lemon juice. Hold off using extra salt in this vinaigrette, as the salt already on the roasted zucchini and nectarines and in the feta should be plenty. Just before serving, combine zucchini and nectarines, with feta, dill, and pumpkin seeds. Gently toss with the lemon vinaigrette. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Serve immediately. Zucchini and nectarines can be roasted a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

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Catie Baumer Schwalb is a chef, food writer and photographer, who splits her life between the city and the country. Not too long ago Catie was a New York City based actress and playwright for more than a decade. She has her Master of Fine Arts from the National Theater Conservatory, and her Grand Diplôme in classic culinary arts from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. ... Read More ≫

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