Tante Mimi's Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette dressing is easy to make,  and with the addition of various other ingredients such as lemon juice, or lime juice and fresh herbs, it can be adapted to make an interesting variety of salad dressings.  Vary the type of Dijon mustard using a mustard with coarse ground mustard seeds for a country style salad dressing. 

Tante Mimi says you must always stir in the same direction when making this dressing.  However, if you have one of those small countertop food processors you can put all the ingredients in all at once and process away, which could not be easier. On a salad of fresh spinach with sliced ripe tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese sprinkled generously with fresh chopped basil from the garden it is sheer heaven.  A piece of a good French baguette used to mop up all the juices on the platter will assure that not a drop goes to waste.

Ingredients:

1 tbs. Dijon Mustard
2 small cloves of garlic put through a press
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground Malabar pepper
2/3 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Apple Cider vinegar

Instructions:

Place the tablespoon of Dijon Mustard in the bottom of a bowl.  Add the garlic, the salt, the pepper and a small splash of the Apple Cider vinegar.  Stir until the mustard, garlic, salt and pepper are mixed with the small amount of vinegar.  Now, stirring constantly add the oil very slowly.  The dressing will begin to look thick, or homogenized, as you slowly add the oil.  Now stir in some more of the vinegar until the dressing thins out a bit.  Check for taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Variations:

1.  Two anchovy filets may be added along with the garlic and mustard.

2.  Some leaves of fresh Thyme, Taragon or Marjoram make a nice herbed dressing.

3.  Instead of Apple Cider Vinegar, use a wine vinegar infused with herbs such as Tarragon, or Thyme.

4.  1/4 cup of lemon juice or lime juice may be used instead of the vinegar.  Omit the garlic, and add a handful of chopped chives.