Recipe: Herb Spread/Vinaigrette

This is an incredibly versatile sauce that can be used to dress up almost any meal with a flavorful and colorful kick.  It also puts almost all of our fresh herbs to good use and is the simplest and most universal crowd pleaser your kitchen may ever produce!

 

Recommendations for Use

I use it most frequently as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, or cheese board dip.  But you could also use it at your next BBQ as a substitute for mayo, in an orzo/pasta salad, on chicken cutlets, as a pizza sauce…the options are endless!

Recipe

Makes approximately 1 quart - can be halved or doubled to adjust quantity accordingly Ingredients: 1 shallot, roughly chopped, or 3 tablespoons chopped yellow onion 2 cups fresh Basil leaves (remove stem)  1 bunch of Scallions 1 bunch of Flowering Thyme (remove stem) 2-3 stalks of Lemon Balm leaves (remove stem)  3-4 cloves fresh garlic 1 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional) 1 cup olive oil (could also use avocado oil) 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 2-3 tablespoons water (as required to achieve desired consistency) 2 teaspoon kosher salt Optional extras: Fresh ginger root, roughly chopped Lemon or Lime zest & juice Parsley, Cilantro, Mint Cumin

 

Instructions: Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a high powered blender, or food processor and blend for 60 seconds until very smooth. (Immersion blenders also work! Just likely need a bit of extra liquid.) If you prefer a thinner dressing you can incrementally add a tablespoon of water until you reach your desired consistency.  Thicker for sandwiches/hamburgers, thinner for salads. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Makes ~1quart. Serve immediately, refrigerate for 5-7 days, or freeze for 2-3 months. Tips and Tricks: Ice cube trays work great for freezing and molding small quantities of the herb vinaigrette; you can drop one or two in winter soups or risottos. Once molded, you can leave in tray or store in tight ziploc. Depending how frequently you plan to use the herb vinaigrette, you can also store it in quarter pint plastic take out round tupperwares in the freezer. This is helpful if you make the full 1 quart bulk batch, but want to space out usage throughout the season. Drying herbs: Remove herb leaves from their stems. Rinse and dry well. Place loose herb leaves in a paper bag for 1-3 weeks in a warm, dry spot in your kitchen. Check periodically to gauge if sufficiently dried out; you should then be able to crumble them with your hands into your chosen air-tight storage container for use throughout the year. You can speed this process up by using your oven at its lowest temp for 2-4hrs, with leaves evenly spaced on a baking sheet...that is if summer heat waves allow!  To give your herbs a longer shelf life in your fridge, remove the lower leaves from the stems, and place in an inch or two of fresh water. This works especially well for basil, mint, scallions, and lemon balm. Ensure some space between stems and leaves so air can circulate and mold doesn't grow.  Recipe submitted by: Lynsey McGarry