salad dressing recipe framework

This follows directly from the discussion at http://www.indybay.org/news/2002/02/115981.php

Screw the corporations and make your own salad dressing!

Vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike ignore the importance of salad dressing. If you buy a bottle of shake-and-pour shit, you don't know what you're missing.

Background: plants do not want to be eaten. Some of them offer fruit to us, but they're generally not down with having their leaves eaten. Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens have had to live through millions of years of slugs, caterpillars, turtles, rabbits, deer, humans, and who knows what else trying to munch on them. Consequently they manufacture bitter-tasting chemicals to discourage us from doing so.

On the other hand, we like eating plants. With just a little encouragement, our tastebuds will help us consume these stubborn bastards. What we don't need is bottled crap that simply drowns out the natural flavor. What we need is a subtle blend of tastes that distracts us from the noxious compounds and accentuates the pleasant ones we're after.

Here's the basic framework:

1 part vinegar
2 parts oil (best is olive oil)

Pretty damn simple, right? Now add some spices. Just pick up some of those cylindrical containers on the shelf that you don't know exactly what the hell they are. This is a great way to find out. Basil, dill, marjoram, whatever. I personally am a big fan of paprika - something people rarely think of adding to dressing.

A spoonful of vinegar, two of oil, a dash of basil and a dash of paprika and in 30 seconds you've created a dressing far tastier (and far healthier, and vegan to boot) than whatever crap is rotting in your fridge next to the ketchup.

Chunky bits (pick and choose): finely chopped onions and garlic, radishes (chop up the bigger ones), carrot shreds if you're so inclined. Add nuts or seeds if you want a little crunch.

You can add a citrusy zing by squeezing out a little bit of juice from a lemon, lime, or even grapefruit or orange. Some people like to thicken it up and mellow out the vinegar by adding a little plain yogurt (of course that un-veganizes it).

The important part is to let it sit for at least a few minutes, preferably more like half an hour, before serving. This is so the chunky bits can marinate in the dressing, adding flavor to the dressing and mellowing out the onions and garlic.

Drain as much water from the greens as possible, with one of those spinny things if you've got one. Mix the dressing into half of the greens, then add the rest and mix again. Mix just before serving, and mix as you consume the salad.

Bon appetit!