A single date…
- At October 31, 2010
- By Molly Chester
-
4
Having a great salad dressing is like having a perfect little black dress.
I remember Jamie Oliver once said children should be taught 10 survival recipes. And when he said this, my neighbor took action with her own two girls. I thought that was cool, and if I have kids one day, I think I will put a homemade salad dressing on that list.
My reason being, I only know one brand of pre-made salad dressing worth our hard earned money, made by a company called Zukay Live Foods. Their dressings are designed to be mixed with oil at home, which allows the cook to control the type of oil used. This company goes so far as to lacto-ferment their dressings, which is fantastic. Lacto-fermenting foods (think Sauerkraut or Yogurt) invites nature’s good bacteria into the food, which can buffer our bodies against colds, improve digestion, naturally extend shelf-life and more. But, the fermentation angle is really just an added bonus. The truth is, Zukay is the only company I know that doesn’t put a whole lot of terrible junk in their dressings. Most jarred dressings are filled with refined oils (often soybean oil, which is highly allergic to my body), sugar and even MSG, an emotionally irritating seasoning that literally makes food addictive. I guess being addicted to salad could be worse, but being slightly picky about my addictions, I’ll pass on the unnecessary MSG.
Before I knew how to cook, I assumed making a salad dressing must be near impossible. The thought seemed so intimidating! Come to find out, salad dressings are the easiest of all recipes, several involving only oil and vinegar! Average prep time runs about 5 minutes. And besides, a salad becomes a SALAD with a homemade dressing.
This particular beauty began with leftovers from a pint of Medjool dates purchased from my local farmer’s market. Medjool dates are the big, juicy variety, the king of the date kingdom, and they are available in most grocery stores, too. Because this dressing is so flavorful, nothing more than lightly tossed greens is needed for a delicious side salad; however, fennel, radishes and walnuts also work very nicely in combination. Throw a piece of salmon on top, and watch out MSG, you are quickly becoming unnecessary.
Click HERE for the Lemon Vinaigrette recipe…
xo
Organic Spark
Amanda
Had no idea that I could make my own… this sounds so refreshing and delicious!
God bless-
Amanda
marla {family fresh cooking}
I agree with you – having a "go-to dressing" is just as comforting as the perfect outfit or favorite blanket. Love your combo of dates and lemon here. xo
amy
I'm going to use this dressing for my next salad. It looks simple enough! I usually add some cayenne pepper for some kick.
Love your blog!
Amy :)
Halloween Hangover @ Organic Spark
[…] dessert-first, followed by chili & salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, we strolled the neighborhood looking for houses with lit porch-lights. Currently kid-less, I […]