Having a basic recipe at your fingertips in the kitchen makes life so much easier. This 100% Canadian vinaigrette is one that lends itself to countless variations for your summer salads. Always begin with a natural sweetener to balance the acid – maple syrup, apple butter even a squirt of local honey. Our Shop Like a Canadian guide has tons of info.
We love apple cider vinegar but other locally fermented ones also are great. Pick a favourite and play with it. In the summer, the fresh herbs you have in the garden or a balcony window box add another flavour hit. Just think of what end result you’d like. Tarragon adds a hint of licorice; basil goes well with tomatoes and more hearty greens. I love shredded fresh mint with strawberries or other fruit (blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, thinly sliced apples! If you have chives, be generous and don’t forget to use the blossoms. Crumbled Canadian feta is fabulous on salads where you’ve used berries or other fruits.
Play with the greens, too. Add fruit – the strawberries were perfection and were amazing atop the field greens….or if you’re lucky, foraged leaves. If you’ve never used kohlrabi before, peel the bulb and then shred it atop some tender butter lettuce. And at this time of year, don’t forget that daylilies are one of our most delicious edible flowers. I actually plant them just for summer salads.
THE Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) apple butter or maple syrup or 2 tsps (10 mL) local honey
- 3 tbsps (45 mL) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) whole grain mustard (‘old-fashioned’)
- ½ tsp ( 2 mL) Canadian sea salt
- ½ cup (125 mL) canola or sunflower oil.
Whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate what you’ve not used. Makes enough for one large, magnificent summer salad!
