Best Vinaigrette

Jim and I are huge salad fans. We're not very talented in the Barbecue Department. We love the smells of ribs and burgers that waft over from our neighbors' yards. We envy their talents. But, at the same time, we're pretty happy with our salads.

One of the most important parts of a salad for me is the dressing.  A lot of people think that it is a lot of work to make a good salad dressing. It certainly takes longer than opening a bottle of prepared dressing. But, all it really takes is 5 or 10 minutes to make a big batch of vinaigrette and then you're set for the week.

Here is my recipe. Give it a try. I hope you'll love it as much as we do.

There are a few options so you can mix it up, week to week.

Moss Street Vinaigrette

Whisk together:

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar OR 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (which will, of course, really change the flavor of the dressing)

-2 T. Dijon mustard

-2 T. chopped shallots OR 4 cloves finely chopped garlic

-1/2 tsp. cumin AND 1 T. crushed oregano  OR, instead of these two herbs, you can use 2 T. crushed dried parsley

Make sure all of this is nicely whisked together.

Then, GRADUALLY, pour in 1 cup plus 2 T. olive oil.

(It's helpful to whisk like crazy while, at the same time, pouring in the olive oil in a thin stream. This will blend it nicely.)

-Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Then, divide into small tupper wares and refrigerate. When your salad is ready, simply take out a tupper ware and set it in

a bowl of hot water so that the dressing can be poured onto the salad. (It will solidify in the refrigerator.)

Enjoy!