In the absence of any other recipes, this month its time to go for some dressings. Dollop all over salads then toss well (I watched the Naked Chef the other night, he tossed the salad on a big plate with his hands). Go for it!
The most basic of French dressings, ideal for pretty much any salad.
Dissolve the salt in the vinegar then whisk in the oil with a fork. Season with a little black pepper.
Whisk the olive oil with the vinegar and shallot in a small bowl, then stir in the chopped herbs. Use for dressing warm potatoes.
There is little that is not improved by a dressing spiked with a dollop of mustard, especially the smooth Dijon variety. Use on leafy salads or warm potatoes.
Blend the mustard with a little salt and the vinegar in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil with a fork. Mix in the chopped herbs and a few grinds of black pepper.
A refreshing, quite thin dressing for leafy bitter salads such as watercress or chicory, or for drizzling over poached fish to be served in a salad. It is at its best when used to season a watercress and orange salad to accompany cold roast meats.
Mix the grapefruit and orange juices with the vinegar and the shallot. Whisk in the oil, add the honey and continue mixing until the honey is almost dissolved. Stir in the chopped coriander.
A rich, savoury dressing for a simple salad of crisp leaves.
Mash the cheese with a fork in a small bowl. Blend in the oil, vinegar, cream and parsley until you have a smooth, creamy dressing. You can adjust the quantity of the cream and oil to suit the purpose of the dressing.
If using a food processor, pulse-chop the parsley, basil, mint, garlic, capers and anchovies until roughly blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vinegar. Slowly pour in the olive oil, stirring constantly, and finally add the mustard. Check for seasoning.