ONLINE EXTRA — VINAIGRETTES: Champagne Vinegar Vinaigrette . . . Simple Balsamic Vinegar . . . Apple Vinaigrette, etc.

Champagne Vinegar Vinaigrette

1 cup mild olive oil

¼ cup champagne vinegar

½ cup Champagne

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of sugar, to taste

Whisk oil, vinegar, and champagne together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add sugar, if desired.

Simple Balsamic Vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup tablespoons olive oil

Mesclun salad mix or favorite greens, for accompaniment

Assortment of salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced red onion, chopped celery, diced cucumbers, walnuts

Blue cheese, for garnish

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately. If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

Note: If using a good quality balsamic vinegar, you should not need the sugar. But if using a lesser quality, you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

Apple Vinaigrette

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup apple juice

3 whole fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon honey

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine parsley, vinegar, olive oil, apple juice, basil, honey, salt, dry mustard and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

Yield: About 1 cup.

Citrus Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. juice of 1 lemon)

¼ cup fresh lime juice (approx. juice of 3 limes)

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic minced or pressed

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

½ cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Let stand 30 minutes before using to blend the flavors.

Yield: Serves 4.

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, pressed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup vegetable oil

Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended.

Note: If desired, prepare ahead by storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature and whisk before serving.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/3 cup apple cider

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup olive oil

Whisk all of the ingredients together. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to one week.

Hot Pepper Vinaigrette

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons dried red pepper flakes

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, or 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan until quite hot but not boiling. Drop in a pepper flake; if the flake skips on top of the oil and doesn’t burn or sink, add the rest of the pepper flakes and remove from the heat. Let the pepper flakes steep in the oil about 30 minutes, then strain and let cool. This is called olio santo, or hot pepper oil.

Whisk the hot pepper oil and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. You may need to add a little more olive oil if the hot oil is too hot. Pepper flakes vary wildly in degrees of hotness and so do people’s capacities to take the heat.

Note: This vinaigrette is excellent on greens, broccoli, cauliflower, seafood, hard-cooked eggs, and fruit salads.

Yield: About 1 1/3 cups.

Approximate nutrition analysis per 2-tablespoon serving: 180 calories, no protein, no carbohydrate, no fiber, 20 milligrams sodium, 3 grams saturated.

Homemade Blueberry Vinaigrette

½ cup fresh blueberries

1 small clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon onion

2 tablespoons good vinegar

½ teaspoon sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons good olive oil

In a blender, whiz the berries, garlic, onion, vinegar and sugar until berries are liquified. Drizzle the olive oil through the top while the blender is running until the desired consistency and mouth feel are achieved. Serve drizzled over lettuce greens with fresh blueberries, peach slices and blue cheese crumbles.

Yield: ½ cup,

Raspberry Vinaigrette

½ cup raspberry vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper, fresh ground

4 teaspoons sugar

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients together.

Yield: ½ cup.

Note: Keep in refrigerator in container with tight-fitting lid.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (key limes are good)

1 small jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped (leave in some seeds if heat is desired)

1 small clove garlic, halved

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sugar or 1/8 teaspoon honey

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch ground cumin

1 pinch salt, to taste

1½ tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Put everything but the cilantro into a blender and puree until smooth. Stir in the cilantro, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Shake before serving.

Yield: ½ cup.

Wasabi Vinaigrette

1¾ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1¾ tablespoons rice vinegar

½ tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon wasabi paste

Mix all ingredients together and serve with fish or other seafood.

Yield: Serves 4.

Yellow-Pepper Vinaigrette

4 yellow peppers, charred on the grill, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

½ cup rice-wine vinegar

9 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Pinch of saffron threads

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the peppers, vinegar, garlic, saffron, honey and mustard in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 30 seconds. With the motor running, add the oil slowly until it emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield: Serves 8.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil

1/3 cup white or red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or white vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme, oregano, or basil, or 12 teaspoon dried thyme, oregano, or basil, crushed

¼ teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a screw-top jar combine oil, vinegar, sugar, herb, mustard, garlic, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Serve immediately or cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days if using fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week. Stir or shake well before using.

Yield: About 3/4 cup.

Raspberry Vinaigrette: Prepare as above, except use raspberry or red wine vinegar instead of the listed vinegar options, omit the sugar, and add 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserve

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Prepare as above, except use regular or white balsamic vinegar. Makes about ¾ cup.

Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette: Prepare Balsamic Vinaigrette as above, except reduce balsamic vinegar to 3 tablespoons. Add ½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel and ¼ cup orange juice.

Ginger Vinaigrette: Prepare as above, except use rice vinegar, substitute 2 teaspoons honey for the sugar, and use 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger instead of the herb. Add 2 teaspoons soy sauce.

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