I'll Have Some Salad With That Vinaigrette

I don't usually get excited about salad.   I'm a romaine and a couple of tomatoes salad kind of girl.  But as you know, I've been trying to widen my salad horizons lately.  It's hard work but someone has to do it.

The other day, in my effort to expand beyond romaine lettuce, I bought a selection of other, more varied lettuces.  To be fair, this gourmet grouping, creatively named "Tanimura & Antle Artisan Lettuces"  came in a multi pack from Costco.  It was very attractively packaged, and we all know packaging is key.   It had three different lettuces: Petite Tango, Petite Gem, and Petite Oak, two heads of each.

Last night I made a salad using Petite Tango.  The lettuce was lovely but it's what I did with the lettuce that was noteworthy.  I made the best vinaigrette I've ever had.  I'm not talking just good, I'm talking really great.  I added just a few very fresh thinly sliced mushrooms, some sweet yellow teardrop tomatoes from my garden, and a shaving of parmesan on top.  It was, to be modest, divine.  

Just when I thought I had expanded my horizons as far as they would go by making salads with fruit in them, I upped the ante with a vinaigrette to end all vinaigrettes.  This is a vinaigrette to die for.

Recipe:  Lemon Vinaigrette


*  Note:  This would also made a delicious marinade


Ingredients:



2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon zest (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp.dry mustard


Directions:


Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Immediately toss with salad greens.