Recipe:  Blackberry Vinaigrette

 

One of the biggest black holes at your local supermarket is the salad dressing aisle.  They are charging you for flavorless chemicals; they are stifling your creativity and making you pay for it.  Salad dressings are fun! Not everything in the kitchen benefits from your pinch-a-this style of cooking, but salad dressings and vinaigrettes a fantastic outlet for flair.

A vinaigrette by definition is a dressing made of vinegar and oil in a 3:1 ratio.  The oil should be a fine, healthy oil such as extra virgin olive oil but you can certainly use others such as flax.  They need to have a delicate flavor.  Many vinaigrettes are balsamic, referring to the vinegar used.  Although this is traditional, it is not necessary.  In this recipe I prefer organic apple cider vinegar because the hint of fruit pairs well with the blackberry. 

I make the honey optional; I have tried it both ways.  Although I liked it just as well without the honey and some might think it’s too sweet with it, it helps to emulsify the oil and water.  If you you a wisk or one of these bad boys, or your blender, they will merge with or without the honey, but the texture will last longer with it.  You will have some separation of ingredients at the table whether you go with the honey or not, so use a container that allows for shaking. 

This vinaigrette recipe is sweet and tangy.  You can adjust the ingredients how you so choose–we use more garlic in ours than I am recommending for you, so play with the levels and don’t be afriad to taste and tweak as you go.  The garlic brings the fruit flavor back down to earth and bridges the gap between a “fruit sauce” and a vegetable salad.  Don’t skip the garlic!

Overripe berries work best, or you might want to put them in a small sauce pan with just enough water in the bottom to keep them from scalding, and let them soften for a few minutes.  Alternatively, I once soaked the berries in the apple cider vinegar overnight–that made them mushy and ready for blending!

 

Blackberry Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic (we like 1 Tbs)
• 1 tsp dehydrated onion
• 1 Tbs honey (optional)
  
• 1 clamshell Blackberries (or to taste–less is just fine)*
  

Add ingredients and blend in a blender that will puree the berries well.   Put into a jar that allows for shaking.  Refrigerate the unused portion.  This serves approximately 6-7 salad bowls.

*Alternatively, I’ve made this using the last of blackberry preserves–since I make my jam with honey, I omit that ingredient and add just a tad bit more oil…it works great!

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