what it do

a simple summer salad + our blog's return

y'all we're back. it's been over two years, but as i've finished grad school and remain seriously under-employed i have plenty of time to post recent recipe experiments. my roommate danielle and i have a catering company (hey y'all catering) and blake and his boyfriend keeton cook all the time, too. ALSO we both have iphones now and not blackberries so there should be considerable improvements in picture quality. to start, an easy salad and vinaigrette i made for a vegetarian dinner the other night. i followed it up with beet ravioli with a tarragon brown butter sauce then lemon icebox pie with fresh whipped cream. 

without further ado:

greens with chevre, pistachios, and strawberries

1 package greens (pictured is an organic girl blend)

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 package goat cheese (pictured is la bonne vie garlic +herbs)

a dozen sliced strawberries 

a handful of pistachios

fresh herbs (i used tarragon and mint -- just tear them over the salad before serving)

vinaigrette: 

zest and juice from one orange

zest from a lemon

one garlic clove (i use a garlic press so that it's completely incorporated)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

a pinch of brown sugar

salt

pepper

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/4-1/2 cup of evoo

i am approximating the oil here because there are many schools of thought regarding how tangy a vinaigrette should be. i like mine particularly acidic, so i would add more white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar/rice wine vinegar/champagne vinegar, whatever you have on hand) than i've indicated above and go light on the oil. Particularly if you're using arugula or another delicate green, you don't want to overdress the leaves or crush them under the weight of a creamy dressing. if you're using romaine or a heavier green (which i wouldn't recommend with this particular salad) a dressing with a higher fat content would work. 

i recommend making vinaigrettes in a mason jar, and shaking vigorously before testing and adjusting seasoning. go light at first, and build up the flavors once you get an ideal oil to vinegar ratio. 

we have four followers so i'm not sure if this is applicable to anyone but eat well and have a great day!