For many years, quite sadly, claiming ignorance, I bought my salad dressings from the grocery store. I was a fan of ranch, Italian, and those with some cheese. I would choose a supposedly good solid brand, such as Wish-Bone and Neuman’s. Still those brands often carried unpronounceable or weird ingredients (Xanthan gum, Mixed Tocopherols), but I ignored those names, and felt satisficed, sort of. This was until the last few decades when I awoke and decided to make my own dressings, what fun its been and delicious, and I knew the ingredients. Through research and experimentation, I learned how beneficial mustard was to dressings, as well as adding  a slight amount of  sweetness with honey or brown sugar. Mustard is a great addition because it emulsifies. That is the ability to hold together liquids that normal would not mix well together, like vinegar and oil. With mustard, specifically Dijon mustard, your dressing will be thick, creamy, instead of watery. Personally, I like to be creative, and on a whim, I toss in flavorings to boast taste, add more diversity to the salad. Since I like creamy dressings I sometimes cut the olive oil slightly and substitute with a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise. Also, I’m a big fan of garlic, and always keep fresh bulbs handy; I’ll break off a clove or two and press them fine in my very old (55 years) garlic press and add various amounts to all of my salad dressing adding a nice pop for flavor. Finally, I like a punch of onion flavoring in most of my salad dressings. Of course I use onion powder in cooking, but I prefer “real” solid food, so often I use scallions, or leeks in many of my dressings; these onion flavor ingredients are slightly milder than your average yellow or white onions.

INGREDIENTS                     large Salad

1/4 cup wine vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t honey, or brown sugar, adjusted to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1 t salt

herbs and 1-3 garlic cloves to taste – ( basil, rosemary, tarragon, winter savory etc.)

Chives – snip 2-5, small, but not too thin

Mayonnaise – 1-2 T, but cut the oil by about 1-2 T also (optional)

PROCESS

1 Mix well in a medium sized bowl all ingredients. Add to a secured and tight jar, shake again. This dressing will last for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Shake well before using. After being in the refrigerator for a few hours or more, shake well again. Or heat for 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Most ingredients can be tweaked a lot or a little, depending on your desires for tartness with vinegars and mustard, as well as for sweetness with the honey or brown sugar. Also, try various balsamic vinegars in the dressing.