BRATTLEBORO — The freshest way to dress a salad of locally-grown greens is with a simple homemade vinaigrette.
Matt Goddard, owner of Brattleboro's Backside Cafe, shared the recipe for his house vinaigrette salad dressing.
“It is super-easy,” Goddard said. No special equipment other than a jar or bowl, and either a fork or whisk, is necessary. If you have a jar with a lid, you can skip the fork or whisk and just shake it.
“I use the classic combo of one part vinegar to three parts olive oil. I have used all grades of olive oil, from pomace to extra virgin,” he said.
Pomace is less expensive, and has a stronger olive flavor. Extra-virgin will cost more, and often tastes more delicate.
“For the cafe, I use red wine vinegar, but I use balsamic for specialty vinaigrettes,” Goddard said.
He then adds “a few spoonfuls of decent-grade mustard. Use a smooth kind, nothing grainy. I use Dijon."
“Then I herb. For a gallon of vinaigrette, I use a heaping tablespoon of each: tarragon, basil, oregano, parsley. Pinch of black pepper, and voila,” he said.
Goddard noted his herb mixture varies depending on what he has around. If you are not running a restaurant and do not need a gallon of vinaigrette, just a pinch of each herb will do.
But remember, if you are using fresh herbs, you will need to multiply the amount you use by three.