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| These are in my kitchen right now and smell like bottled summer |
I love a good salad. You know what I am talking about; robust greens perfectly ornamented with a little bit of sweet, a little bit of salty, and perhaps a well appointed cheese. While I have eaten (and thoroughly enjoyed) many a naked salad in my day, I do adore a perfectly balanced vinaigrette...the gorgeous little condiment which just...pulls the whole world together. I could go on, but my vinaigrette fetish is fodder for an entire post...as pitiful as that sounds. This post really is not about my passion for dressing, but exploring at what point it goes terribly wrong.
I have been quietly obsessing about the following recipe since I found it on the Ball website a couple of days ago. The name excited me because I immediately fantasized about how utterly brilliant it would be to can my own salad dressing ahead of time, have it ever on standby and perhaps share it with friends when the occasion calls for it. However, after reading the recipe I found myself wondering if this vinaigrette would be dressing my salad or tramping it up. You know...the vegetable equivalent to 12 inch heels and hooker red lipstick.
Take a look...
Do not get me wrong,
the recipe looks wonderful in its own right but I have an objection...a four cup objection. FOUR(ish) CUPS OF SUGAR? Really? Now before anyone cries foul let me say: I -love- sugar. I put lots of it in my jams and sweets, but I do not serve either of those on a beautiful bed of lettuce who never did nothing to no one. It just seems so...counter intuitive, slathering it with syrup. At the same time something draws me to it. Like...I should try it in the name of science, or I might be missing out on something epic (you all know how I like epic). Of course I could skip the sugar and just make strawberry vinegar...which might be tasty in a 'traditional' vinaigrette recipe. I am in a quandary because I have four pounds of strawberries begging to be something, I am just not sure if they are begging to be this.
I think you should take one for the team and try it out! Maybe cut down the sugar (1 or 2 cups should be plenty), add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweet, maybe whisk in a little olive oil? Or walnut oil... mmmmm....
ReplyDeleteThen again, I have no clue what I'm doing, so feel free to ignore me!
I would have taken one for the team, but while I was deliberating like a dummy my strawberries started to spoil. I cut them up and dumped them in a pot for jam...and then burned it. Just was not meant to be, I guess. :( Epic strawberry fail.
ReplyDeleteStrawberry vinager gets my vote. While the idea of adding walnut oil to a vinagrette does peak my intrest, but maybe with a different fruit.
ReplyDeleteAlright, I will try to pick up some strawberries this week and see after a little vinaigrette.
ReplyDelete