January 6, 2020
Makes about 1 Cup
Oh boy. The holidays are behind us. Much to celebrate and much to eat. Too much to eat. It's salad time perhaps? I was one of THOSE kids that hated salad but I'm actually starting to appreciate it more as I am, um.... getting older. And, I'm pretty picky too. It doesn't take much for me to be yucked out. I was NOT yucked out when I tasted this fabulous Meyer lemon vinaigrette at my brother's house.
Francesco is my older brother and an amazing chef. Every year we go to his house on Christmas day for a traditional Christmas meal of, you guessed it, spaghetti and meatballs. (They are incredible by the way and I will be sharing that recipe in the near future). This year he also prepared an arugula salad with a vinaigrette that blew my mind and my taste buds in the best possible way. Simple, yet, incredibly complex. At first taste, sweetness. Then a splash of Meyer lemon so tangy and so unexpected, a surprising punch of acidity, then, a hint of thyme and mustard to round it all out. As I'm writing this my taste buds are getting tantalized. I have some left over and after I finish this post I'll eat it for breakfast. Or, I'll just devour some spoonfuls of vinaigrette sans lettuce. Please make note Meyer lemons aren't always available so regular lemons can be substituted. Taste the dressing and add more salt or even more lemon juice if you'd like. Dial back on the sweetness, or add other herbs. It's pretty perfect as is though. I'm so happy my brother agreed to let me share this with all of you.
Ingredients:
2 T fresh thyme leaves
1 T Meyer lemon zest
1/4 C Meyer lemon juice
3/4 C neutral oil like avocado
1/4 C maple syrup
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
1 t kosher salt
Instructions:
Put everything in a blender or Vitamix. Purée until smooth.
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Toss with your favorite lettuce or any vegetable.
Impress everyone.
