sprinklefingers

all of a sudden it’s summer.
school has started. it’s september. and it’s supposed to be 100 degrees today. thanks a lot, oregon.

of course, i can’t complain. today is 9.11. there are major fires burning across the country. other areas of the country are flooding. if working too much and a stretch of hot weather is all i have to complain about, then i count myself blessed. indeed.

[insert image of me shaking it all off here…]

anyways. it’s hot. salad sounds good, doesn’t it? and remember those roasted shallots we talked about a few days ago? you do remember, right? no? okay, refresh your memory here. got it? good! keep reading…

roasted shallots make an insanely delicious salad dressing. a dressing that makes even simple greens so fancy. honest! whip up a batch of this dressing and store it in the fridge. you won’t be sorry.

this recipe is based on michael ruhlman’s. the only thing i do differently is add a few more shallots and a splash of lemon juice to the mix. other than that, it’s straight from ruhlman.

roasted shallot vinaigrette 

you need:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• splash of fresh lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 4-6 roasted shallots, depending upon size, chopped fine or mashed into a paste
• 1 cup canola oil

make the dressing:

1. using your trusty immersion blender, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, a few pinches of salt & pepper and the shallots. whirl until completely combined.
2. drizzle the oil into the vinegar in a slow, steady stream - keeping the immersion blender whirring to emulsify the mixture. 
3. taste. adjust vinegar or salt & pepper until the dressing tastes perfect.

my favorite way to enjoy this dressing?
on a salad of fresh corn (shaved off the cob), blanched green beans, blanched onions & fresh summer blackberries. seriously good.