Those of you who know us know that this is the Summer of the Patio, and you know what that means – the umbrellas will be up and Ron will be spraying your feet! But did you know that this is also the Summer of the Salad? We’ve planted green leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, mesclun, romaine, cabbage, and endive this year. I aim to pick just enough salad greens each day to make salad for two, mixing it up as much as possible. Toward that end I’ll be posting all of the salad dressings that we have in rotation throughout the season. First up – Sesame Vinaigrette!

Sesame Vinaigrette has a great Asian vibe – the sesame oil, the tamari, the seasoned rice vinegar. Just a hint of sweetness. We like it because it’s light and hearty at the same time. I love it with bitter greens – arugula and/or radicchio are frequently dressed with Sesame Vinaigrette in my kitchen. Serve a bitter greens salad dressed with Sesame Vinaigrette along side a steak, shiitake, and pepper stir-fry – it’s simply wonderful.

Having a garden is such a luxury – fresh produce that’s flavorful and chemical-free. Why would anyone top their organic greens from the garden with commercial salad dressing, when it’s this easy to mix up something so delicious and fresh?

Salad really does taste better tossed with salad dressing right before serving, which is why I only pick enough salad greens for a single meal. Once the salad has been dressed, you really can’t save any left-overs because it just gets limp (unless it’s a kale salad). Fresh is fresh. What should I do if I pick an abundance of greens, more that just the two of us can eat? Why, invite people over, of course. After all, it’s not only the Summer of the Salad, it’s also the Summer of the Patio!