its all about the dressings....
When thinking dressing and what to make? You need to think about flavours/cuisine etc. For instance a good mixed leaf salad straight from the garden may only need a classic Italian dressing - lemon and olive oil! Rocket and Parmesan salad loves the sweet/tart contrast of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Below are two dressing i make every other day. If you are only going to purchase a few vital ingredients for the summer pantry i would suggest the following to invest in.
1. Good quality extra virgin olive oil
2. Interesting vinegar - sherry or red wine
3. New Zealand sea salt flakes - once you have tasted them it is impossible to go back...
Simplicity is the key to any good meal. A few good ingredients and you will be amazed just how easy and delicious food can be.
LEMON AND OLIVE OIL DRESSING
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
good pinch sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Mix together all the ingredients.
I suggest just making enough for what you need as it is so easy and you want to keep it fresh!
SHERRY VINEGAR DRESSING
out of all the vinegars available i adore sherry vinegar, it partners well with almost anything and with all the summer produce arriving it is a wise investment. Think Spain and their cuisine and you will understand why it is a must!
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar with the salt until a fine paste has formed.
Add the sherry vinegar, oil and pepper. Mix well, it can be made a head of time, but not a day in advance as the garlic goes stale and bitter.