For as long as I can remember my Italian American family has always ended their meals with a salad course made with good oil and flavorful vinegar. That’s how I grew up, and that’s a tradition I’ve continued with my own family and my husband’s vinegar. This salad dressing recipe is the family favorite, and the base for other salad dressing variations.
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup Traditional Method Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly course ground black pepper
4-5 cloves crushed garlic
Mix the above in a salad dressing mixer or jar. Shake well and allow it to rest an hour.
A few tips: I use a 1 quart Tupperware Mixer to make this because it has a good seal, and it is easy to shake and pour. Zyliss also makes one in the same size. Use a good basic extra virgin olive oil from California. (You don’t want the oil to be so flavorful that it would overwhelm the balance of the dressing) You can leave the dressing on your kitchen counter for a few days, but for longer storage it should be refrigerated. Just remember to take the dressing out a few hours before serving so the olive oil has a chance to liquify. Buon appetito!
AND, if you have a finicky toddler, try this!! My granddaughter at 16 months loves to dip her veggies in salad dressing .