That “Go To” Recipe

For any supper club menu it is great to have a “go to” recipe that you know will taste great and be a hit. My mother (Mom-Mom to her grandkids) makes vinaigrette that is legendary. The beauty of Mom-Mom’s vinaigrette is its versatility and the fact that it is a healthier alternative.

The primary use of Mom Mom’s Vinaigrette is as a salad dressing, but I have used it for:

1. Salad dressing
2. Base for a blue cheese or Gorgonzola salad dressing
3. Vegan dressing for potato salad
4. Dipping sauce
5. Marinade for fish, meat and veggies

My mom lives in Westhampton NY. She will be 96 in August and is still an amazing hostess. A friend once said about my mom: “She is interested and interesting”. She started going to college when she was just 16 and she is still going to college today at 96. She was teacher and college professor of mathematics, but we are still learning form her every day. Beyond that, everyone in the family swears by her recipe for vinaigrette.

(Mom at her 95th birthday party in 2017)

There are lots of great things about living in Westhampton. At the cornerstone, the Hamptons are beautiful and you get lots of visitors. Mom will have a parade of guests from May to October. From a culinary standpoint, there is a lot of great seafood and even better local produce in season. There are farms all over the Hamptons and the sandy soil generates a wide array of seasonal produce. Every summer meal at mom’s features fresh vegetables from her garden and/or the local farm-stands.  Many of the vegetable dishes have been enhanced by Mom-Mom’s vinaigrette.

1. Basic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic minced and mashed with a teaspoon of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs (chives, basil, parsley or dill)

Instructions

• Dice and mash the garlic with kosher salt. The result should be a salty garlic paste
• In a small bowl combine the garlic, vinegar, honey and mustard whisking together into an emulsion
• Drizzle in the olive oil whisking constantly to bring together a complete emulsion
• Whisk in herbs and serve

2. Base for a Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola salad dressing (See Recipe)

My Romaine Wedge with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette is phenomenal. You know a recipe is a winner when friends ask for it and then real friends complain when they don’t get it.

3. Vegan Potato Salad

My mother’s potato salad is also legendary and will be featured in a future blog but it isn’t vegan. My mom is German and my dad used to say that if the Luftwaffe had bombed with Mom’s Potato Salad, they would have won the war. It uses mayonnaise (eggs) and sour cream (dairy). I have substituted Mom Mom’s vinaigrette for the traditional potato salad dressing to rave reviews.

4. Dipping Sauce

In an attempt to be healthier I will often serve a crudité (fresh veggies) instead of, or as an alternative to chips. Somehow, healthier is not always as popular. To make crudité more of a winner I developed a dipping sauce based on Mom Mom’s vinaigrette. The recipe is simple. You use the same recipe as above substituting three tablespoons of mustard instead of two teaspoons and make it in a blender. The increased mustard gives you a better emulsion and the aeration with the blender gives you a texture like a loose mayonnaise. The result is a winner.

5. Marinade

Nothing influences the flavor of food more than how it is cooked. Grilling is a “go to” way to cook anytime during the year, but especially in the summer. Marinades are a great way to add flavor and improve texture. This vinaigrette works great as a marinade with poultry, beef and fish. It also works really well when you brush it on vegetables just before grilling and a light brushing after grilling is a neat trick as well.

Mom has three children and 6 grandkids. All of the grandchildren would spend summers visiting mom in Westhampton. My daughter did a survey last year and 5 of the 6 grandkids use Mom’s vinaigrette regularly. It tastes great. It is a healthier alternative (fresh, lower fat, vegan, gluten free) and it reminds them of summers with Mom-Mom.

Try Mom Mom’s vinaigrette and I bet it will become a “go to” component of your supper club and everyday menus.

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