Winter Citrus Salad Dressing

Simple and refreshing, this is a satisfying change for a winter diet. In California we have delicious salad greens of all kinds in the winter. If you are living east of the Rockies, you might have to spend a bit to purchase some nice lettuce, but it will be worth it. It’s a taste of sunshine in the winter.

The lemon infused olive oil provides a different kind of flavor than just lemon juice or rind. The oil allows a strong essence of lemon to cling to the salad without being too powerful. Our favorite is Big Paw Grub’s Lemon Oil, you can buy it online: http://bigpawgrub.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=204

Ingredients:

Fresh grated orange rind

Juice from an orange

Lemon infused extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed)

Lemon juice (Meyer lemons are wonderful)

Fresh parsley, cilantro, and/or dill, finely minced

Salt and pepper to taste

I didn’t provide measurements because I like to pour everything directly onto the salad and mix it up. I can provide ratios, though -- 2:1 citrus juices to oil. If your lemons are particularly sour, start with a small amount of juice but be more generous with the orange juice. When I’m using Meyer lemons, I probably mix about a 1:1 ratio because the Meyers are sweet. You don’t want too much orange rind – perhaps grate ½ a small orange for one large serving of salad (remember not to grate the white pith). Dice up just enough herbs to evenly spread through all the salad, you don’t want just clumps of herbs.

The rule of thumb when making dressing right on a salad is to have just enough liquid to coat the lettuce without weighing it down. If you are uncertain, start with less and add more later. One method is to start with a very small amount of oil and toss the salad. The salad should be very gently covered with oil. Then add all the other ingredients, toss, and taste. Add more of whatever you like. For this salad I confess I don’t mind a bit of fresh juice leftover at the bottom of my bowl; drink it up!

I like this on a salad of fresh mixed greens and red leaf lettuce. A few julienne English cucumbers and some pine nuts are nice too. You can get creative with this salad. Grated or julienne jicama would be fun (find it in a Mexican food store or in season at the farmer’s market), avocado, etc.