Summer brings an abundance of textures and colours to our plates. For me summer is about platters of meze and tapas, vegetables in many incarnations, be it fresh, roasted, marinated or pickled. And of course piles and piles of salads, brimming with freshness, crunch and vibrance, alongside meats grilled outside on the barbecue. Not forgetting ice cream, sorbets and boozy ice lollies.
Making dressing has got to be the easiest way of adding additional layers of flavour to salads. But dressings are not confined to just salad. Brush a just barbecued mushroom skewer with a zesty and herby vinaigrette to lift the mushroom flavours. Make a boerewors roll (a barbecued sausage hotdog) but use lamb sausage and replace the usual tomato sauce and mustard with a yoghurt mint dressing (add some chili to the dressing for a bit of added heat). Serve roasted butternut chunks with a tahini dressing or a roasted garlic dressing (roast the garlic with the vegetable) and sprinkle it with some salted, roasted pumpkin seeds.
The flavour and ingredient combinations are endless really. I seem to have at least one or two of these Four Summer Dressings below in the fridge at any one time. Great to perk up a quick tuna lunch salad or to drizzle over some midweek roast veggies, they are easy to make and worth having in the fridge.
Think grilled or barbecued mushrooms, grilled fish, chickpeas and couscous.
Herb Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed herbs like basil parsley, chives, oreganum and mint
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the herbs, garlic, vinegar, and honey in the bowl of a food processor and process until a paste forms.
- With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil to form an emulsion.
- Season to taste with salt and crushed black pepper.
- Best used immediately, but can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Think crispy pita bread chips, chicken mayo sandwiches, dipping sauce for vegetable fritters or tempura.
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to season
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.
- If the mixture is too thick add another tablespoon water and splash of lemon juice.
- Best used immediately, but can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Think corn on the cob, drizzle over roast potatoes, grilled fish, pasta and bean salads.
Roasted Garlic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized whole head of garlic
- oil for roasting
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
- zest of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup brown malt vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally and drizzle with some oil. Wrap in foil and roast for about 45 minutes until soft.
- Once the garlic has cooled, squeeze the garlic from the skins and place in a food processor with the parsley, lemon zest and vinegar.
- Process until a smooth paste and with the processor running drizzle the olive oil to form an emulsion
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Best used immediately, but can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Think baby potatoes, lamb burgers or meatballs, roasted aubergine, crudites.
Yoghurt Mint Dressing
Ingredients
- Handful of mint leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 cup double cream natural yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes optional or more if desired
- sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Best used immediately, but can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
