Today's specials: The House Dressing
Top off your salad with a blend of fresh ideas and fresh ingredients that come straight from your kitchen.
By KAREN PRYSLOPSKI and TOM VALEO
Published May 17, 2006
Having salad but need a dressing?
In the produce aisle you'll find at least 20 kinds of refrigerated salad dressings, including Marie's, T. Marzetti's (organic and regular), Makoto, Walden Farms.
Don't like any of those? Try the health food aisle. Annie's Naturals offers at least a dozen varieties, including such tempting choices as mango, raspberry-walnut, cilantro-lime, poppy seed, ginger and shiitake mushroom. And Annie has plenty of competition.
Still not happy? Then hit the main drag of salad dressings. There you'll find Paul Newman's Own, Emeril's, Ken's, Brianna's, as well as the old standbys, such as Wish-Bone, Kraft and Good Seasons.
There's even a line of South Beach Diet dressings for the low-carb dieters.
Americans clearly love salad dressing. According to a 2003 survey by ACNielsen, 89 percent of American households buy salad dressing, and sales of dressings and sauces exceed $9-billion a year.
With all the dressings on the market, there are still times we crave something different. If you want to try something unusual you might skip the salad dressing aisles and take a stroll down memory lane instead.
Once upon a time people made their own salad dressings, some quite wonderful. Call your mom or Aunt Pat, or riffle through the yellowed cards and clippings in an ancient recipe box, and you're bound to unearth a classic. The ingredients might be strange (tomato soup?), but you probably have everything you need on hand.
Here are three to get you started.
Aunt Pat's tomato soup French dressing was like a member of the family: It turned up at every gathering. It's a fine companion to an ice-cold salad of iceberg lettuce and other traditional veggies. Delicate, some might say wimpy, baby greens are no match for this bold dressing.
The Green Goddess dressing was the highlight of lunch many years ago at the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y. The recipe comes from the original Moosewood Restaurant cookbook, which has been a guide for vegetarians for decades.
And then there was that amazing dressing for cold tortellini salad served at a long-closed restaurant. The owner shared the ingredients, which included a death threat if the recipe was passed on. But that was then. You'll find it here, offered with a clear conscience.
Green Goddess Dressing
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoon cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or 2 tablespoons apple juice
5 to 6 spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh basil (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove; pressed
1 cup buttermilk
Blend all of the ingredients, except the buttermilk, for one minute.
While the blender is running, slowly pour in the buttermilk. As soon as the dressing thickens, turn off the blender or the dressing will separate and become runny. It should be thick and creamy. Chill at least 30 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld.
Other herbs can be used to vary this dressing. Dill, tarragon, oregano, a dab of Dijon mustard and freshly ground black pepper are all possible additions or substitutions. Fresh herbs in season are always our choice when available. Yogurt or sour cream may be substituted for the buttermilk.
However, buttermilk makes the most creamy and stable (nonseparating) dressing.
Refrigerated and tightly covered, it will stay fresh for up to a week.
If the dressing separates, reblend.
Source: “New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant” by Moosewood Collective
Tomato Soup French Dressing
1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
½ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
¾ cup salad oil
2 tablespoon minced onion
Combine all ingredients in a jar or bottle with well-fitting lid. Shake well. Store in refrigerator.
Source: Karen Pryslopski
West End Tortellini Salad
Dressing:
1 egg
½ cup olive oil
½ cup corn oil
1/3 cup vinegar
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
½ teaspoon Tabasco
Pinch of cloves
Salad:
1 pound cooked tortellini
½ cup seeded/diced tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half
Chopped fresh basil to taste
To make dressing, whip egg in blender then slowly add oils then the rest of the dressing ingredients. Blend thoroughly and pour over the tortellini and tomatoes. Sprinkle chopped basil over salad.
Source: Karen Pryslopski
Karen Pryslopski is a St. Petersburg Times photo editor. Tom Valeo is a freelance writer based in St. Petersburg.