This is my signature salad dressing, developed through years of trial and error. It’s never quite the same twice; but it’s always distinctive and recognizable.

The measurements are imprecise, at best. I’ve offered some guidance here, but it’s really just hand-waving and guesswork. It’s pretty hard to screw it up, though, so just go for it. After you’ve made the dressing a few times, you’ll get a sense of the proportions that you like.  Also, it won’t seem so complicated.

Directions

Mix together (I just use a fork as a whisk)…

• A glob of Dijon mustard (something like 1-3 tsp per your taste)
• 1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed and then finely minced
• Some orange juice (maybe 2 Tbs).
• Some maple syrup (the darker the better), something like 1-2 Tbs
• A fair bit of rice vinegar (this is the predominant vinegar, so at least ¼ cup, maybe more)
• A bit of balsamic and/or red wine vinegar (1-2 tsp)
• A bit of water, maybe 1 Tbs. (The water actually is important!)
• Plenty of salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Finally…

• Add a dash of basil infused olive oil if you’ve got it. (If you don’t, you’ll be just fine.)
• Add extra virgin olive oil slowly, emulsifying it with the fork as you go. Make sure you don’t add too much; in the end, the oil makes up much less than ½ of the total maybe only a quarter or a third, actually); whatever tastes right to you IS right.  Also, you can lighten the dressing a bit by substituting canola oil for a portion of the olive oil and adding a bit more water.

Notes on the dressing

• Don’t get hung up on the details of measuring. It’s really tough to go wrong. The only real way to kill this dressing is to add too much oil.
• If you don’t have orange juice, don’t worry. Use a bit of lemon juice or add a bit more red wine vinegar. Or don’t worry about it; it’ll still be good.
• I think that without Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and decent olive oil, you just can’t make this dressing well. As you add more of the other ingredients, it just gets better and better.
• Truth is, you can dump everything into a jar in one go and just shake it all up.
• I don’t keep mine in the fridge. It seems to last pretty well in a sealed jar or bottle.

Notes on making salad: While I think the dressing is 90% fo the reason why people like my salads, here are some suggestions about ingredients for making the salad terrific:

• Use good lettuce. The pre-washed stuff is convenient but generally lacks crispness.
• Add chopped fresh herbs.  Basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, lemon thyme, and spearmint are all great alone or in combination.  I grow most of these in pots so they’re handy.
• Avocado.  The more the better.
• A little bit of chopped scallion or very thinly sliced and roughly chopped red onion adds a bit of punch.
• Good feta.  Find a store where people who remember the old country go, and buy your feta there.
• I like bits of fruit in my salad — yellow mango, apple, blueberries, dried cranberries.
• Toasted nuts on top.  I often will very roughly chop slivered almonds and toast them in a hot frying pan with salt and pepper until they just start to brown.  Cool them and put them on top of the salad (at the last minute, so they can’t get soggy) so everyone can see them and get excited.  Yum.  They’re a good substitute for croutons, which you can also make if you’re motivated.

So in the end, for me a total killer salad has lettuce, cucumber, scallion or red onion, lots of chopped fresh herbs, (good) tomatoes, (lots of) avocado, some kind of fruit, feta, maybe some toasted nuts, and killer dressing. 

Unlike my typical salad, this one has only a few ingredients.  The dressing is simpler, too.  It’s really tasty and fresh, with a touch of Caesar salad influence.

Ingredients to serve 4

• Kale, 4 big leaves, washed
• Celery, 2 stalks (I know; it seems like a lot. Trust me.)
• Shredded parmesan (or romano, if you prefer) (1/4 cup)
• Slivered almonds, toasted with salt and chopped to taste (maybe 1/2 cup)
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Vinaigrette (garlic, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, water, Worcestershire (which, along with the parmesan you’ll sprinkle on top, gives it a bit of Caesar salad-y punch), and olive oil

Preparation

• Toast the almonds in a hot pan with plenty of salt and pepper until they start to brown.  Then chop them and let them cool.  How much?  To taste – so maybe ½ cup for 4 people.
• Wash and chop the kale into pretty small pieces (say 1” x 2”).  1 or 2 leaves per serving depending on size.  Once chopped, “massage” the kale (basically, just mush it a little in your hands to soften it up a bit).
• Cut the celery into thin slices.  About ½ stalk per serving.
• Sprinkle the salad with the parmesan (to taste, so maybe ¼ cup for 4 people).
• Black pepper and a little salt.
• Dress with the vinaigrette.
• Finally, top it with the almonds.  You might also sprinkle just a bit more parmesan on for appearance.