Have I ever mentioned that I hate raw garlic? It stays on my breath for at least the rest of the day. Often it turns into “morning after” garlic without most of the fun of what that should involve. So when I make a salad dressing I’m torn. I want body and depth, and I want tang and punch, and I don’t want too much oil or too, too much sweetness. So I usually end up with some kind of mix of 1:1 vinegar:oil, plus some salt and pepper, maybe some honey or sugar, flavoured dijon, and garlic powder. Now garlic powder is really a horrible thing. Often it tastes metallic, but it can sometimes handle the dressing’s body issue without giving the bad breath, which is the only reason I let in into my salad.
An alternative for me, however, is to dice chives from the front porch, add some fermented sweet some turnip treads (also diced) for salt and volume and muskiness if the fermentation worked properly, and then some apple cider vinegar, tamari (if it’s not too salty already), and top it up with walnut or hazelnut oil, or fruity extra-virgin olive oil. The chives are…okay. They need some time to infuse, I think. You could also just chop chunks of garlic as a friend of mine does, add it to the dressing, and then strain the pieces out when you serve, but then you’d have to strain out whatever else wasn’t just liquid in the dressing too, and you’re often left with an oily, thin dressing.
So here’s what I did this time:
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp diced fermented sweet summer turnip threads (or 1 tbsp diced daikon radish or regular radish + 1/2 tsp tamari)
1 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 tsp honey, sugar, or maple syrup (to taste, but everything’s “to taste”)
1-2 tbsp walnut, hazelnut or extra-virgin olive oil
Combine everything in a jar with a tight lid and shake (or purée), then add the oil and shake again. It won’t stay emulsified long, so re-shake before serving. Toss the dressing on some sliced figs, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber, as I did, or on any salad with a little sweetness mixed in with savoury (sliced grapes, strawberries, dried cranberries, etc with lettuce, peppers, or your favourite raw vegetables). Add some herbs if you’re up for it. Or add them to the dressing (1/2 tbsp diced parsley, for example).
You don’t need a lot of sugar in this recipe if you make a salad with fruit in it. The figs were definitely sweet enough, but honey gos so well with them that even just a touch was nice. The nut oil could also be used in addition to sliced and toasted nuts of the same kind. If the dressing’s too salty you need to dilute the whole thing with everything that isn’t salty. If it’s too vinegar-y, add more of everything else (not just the oil, though you can start by adding up to the 2 tbsp of oil listed above). Add the fresh garlic instead of chives (or even powdered garlic) if the chives aren’t doing it for you.
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