Winter Herb Vinaigrette

There is nothing more luscious than a plate of fresh, tenderly green lettuces gently dressed in a fresh herb vinaigrette. The sun sets lazily and the long summer evening stretches out in front of me as I toy with having just one more glass of chilled rosé.

Except that right now, snow is swirling outside my window, and the last lettuces from the garden (and tomatoes and squash) were eaten months ago.

I still yearn for my greens, however, and refuse to consider giving up my salad addiction. (I need a greenhouse!) But the seasons should always be heeded, and so my sunny summer salads--heirloom tomatoes with basil and fresh chevre; julienned baby zucchini dressed in lemon and fresh thyme flowers; soft butter lettuce topped simply with shards of parmesan--yield to slightly heartier fare.

Now is the time for frisée, with its firm, archly bitter, ghostly stalks and curly, celadon leaves cradling a still warm, perfectly poached egg, garnished with smoky, thickly carved hunks of crunchtious bacon (the perfect blend of crunchy and unctious); or a melange of richly purple radicchio and pale chartreuse endive, married happily to a full bodied roquefort and some meaty little walnuts. Or (perhaps my favorite) dried figs, darkly sweet and sticky, dressed in paper thin slices of crisped prosciutto and nestled among dark green, acidic arugula and topped with a slice of bubbly browned robiola cheese on crostini.

Delicious, all, and enough to hold me over until the very early spring appearance of mache (the most delicate, delicious green ever. More about that delight in early February or March). But what to dress these salads in? My indispensable fresh herb vinaigrette would be as out of place on these salads as a tomato.


While each of these salads also has a very specific dressing that is the ideal accompaniment to each recipe, I need a good, everyday dressing that I can use in any salad situation. Enter the Winter Herb Vinaigrette: tangy, peppery, robust hits of shallot and garlic, with a nice herbal backbone that won't get lost amid the more assertive flavors of winter greens. I adore Herbs de Provence, a truly magical combination of aromatic and flavorful dried rosemary, fennel, savory, thyme and sometimes marjoram and/or basil, along with others, depending on personal preference. It can easily be mixed at home or purchased as a spice mix. I really like the one sold by Penzy's Spices. Find it here:

Recipe:

Makes about 2 cups of dressing, which is really a vast amount. (unless you eat salads every day, like me.)

I usually make this in a pint jar and just shake it up before I use it, but feel free to emulsify it with a blender. The dijon will ensure that it stays creamy.

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup SEASONED rice wine vinegar*
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
10-12 grinds of course fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced

Add ingredients to a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Shake very well until combined. Drizzle over anything and everything.

* The seasoned rice wine vinegar eliminates the need to add any further salt or (heaven forbid) sugar to this recipe. I like it because it is not too acidic and so plays nicely with all possible salad ingredients. A very safe vinegar for all seasons (and seasonings!)