How summer meals come to the table

The best part of summer cooking? Not doing it! I love the DIY and nontraditional aspect of creating summer meals with minimal actual cooking. It’s good sport to see how far you can push it without turning on the stove or oven, without going to an actual grocery store and without having any meal plan.

It’s fun for me, that is. I suspect my family hates this daily game of chance but, last I checked not one of them was starving. With a fridgeful of fresh produce, a random smattering of leftovers and a swing by the roadside farmstand, you’re never far from an epic salad or bowl or pasta dish.

When you want to turn your hodge-podge of fixin’s into an acceptable meal all you really need is a good salad dressing. Here are some of my faves, that can handle all kinds of salads from simple greens to pasta salads to pumped up, meal-sized bowls.

The dressings in this anthology are named for their purveyors, and listed in order of difficulty. But really, we’re talking dressing here. You’ve got this. All of this.

Amy’s Salad Dressing

From Amy, of crockpot Chicken Taco Chili fame. An easy, go-to, all-purpose dressing. Who loves ya Amy? We do!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 olive oil
• 1/3 lemon juice
• 1T soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Make it:

Shake in a mason jar and keep outside fridge.  It will get better by the day, as the garlic marinates.

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Ina’s Vinaigrette (from THE Panzanella) and other tomato-y, basily, herby things.

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make it:

Shake it all up in a jar

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Dana’s three ingredient Tahini Dressing

From Minimalist Baker, who uses it on things like her “Salads, Falafel, Fritters, Buddha Bowls, and more!”

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 medium lemon, juiced (1 medium lemon yields ~3 Tbsp or 45 ml)
• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub agave – or honey if not vegan)
• 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
• 1 clove garlic (minced // optional)
• Water (to thin // ~3-6 Tbsp or 45-90 ml as original recipe is written)

Make it:

To a medium mixing bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup. If adding salt and garlic, add now (optional). Whisk to combine. Then slowly add water until creamy and pourable. The mixture may seize up and thicken at first, but continue adding water a little at a time and whisking until creamy and smooth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days (sometimes longer*).

*Oh Dana, you do not know me! I can work this for a month.

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Ina’s Curry Dressing

From Ina Garten’s couscous salad, or use on any grain you like (the quinoa version coming soon right here).

1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make it:

Whisk or shake it all up until emulsified. Add 1Tbsp water if using greek yogurt to get it smooth

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Andy’s Caesar Dressing

From Andy’s East Coast Kitchen (goes with an excellent Caesar pasta salad)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Light Mayo
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Galic Cloves minced
• 1/2 Lemon juiced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp Capers chopped
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 pinch Kosher Salt

 Make it:

Mix it all up in a bowl.

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Edie’s Creamy Soy Dressing (From Hero Slaw)

(Also used by Pierce’s Inn for a simple, lusty kale salad with toasted pecans)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 clove peeled and minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup mayonnaise,

Make it:

Combine all ingredients except mayo and stir or shake in container until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk (or shake) in 1 cup mayonnaise until blended.

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Caroline’s Curry Cashew Dressing

From Caroline Chambers Thai Chicken Chop

 While you’re at it make it a double batch. It keeps in the fridge for a week or in the freezer through the apocalypse

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water

Make it:

Place 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews into a blender and cover with warm water. Set aside to soak. Drain the liquid out of the blender and add the remaining dressing ingredients (1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon red curry paste, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, pinch of salt, and water — start with 1/3 cup). Blend on high speed until smooth. If it’s too thick, blend in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you get the right consistency.

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Finally, the most labor intensive of the lot, but worth it! (plus it makes a boat load)

Mason’s Creamy Date and Shallot Dressing

From Mason McNulty’s recipe trove, and don’t skimp on the salad crack topping!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 ounces (~1/2 cup) dried dates, measured with pits
• 1 small shallot (~1⁄4 cup)
• 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄3 cup +1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Make it:

Pit and roughly chop dates. Finely chop the shallot

Combine the dates, the shallots, mustard and apple cider vinegar in a blender (a bullet blender if you’ve got it).

Blend until well combined but still somewhat chunky

Add the olive oil plus a big pinch of salt and a few cranks of pepper and blend until very smooth and emulsified. It will look like tahini! Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Dressing will solidify in the fridge, but you can re-warm it by running warm water on the sides and shaking the container you stored it in!

Ba da Bing! Happy back end of summer to all!