Let’s enjoy the spring bounty by dressing it with this classic french tarragon and shallot vinaigrette.
Is warmer weather finally upon us (fingers crossed)? I’m more than ready to break out the flip flops, shorts, and tees.
Come early spring, after plenty of root vegetables and nourishing, stick-to-your-ribs dishes, am looking for something a tad lighter yet equally satisfying. I love a big, hearty salad, a salad that’s a meal in itself, a fully-loaded salad with lots of color and texture (the texture compliments of toasted nuts/seeds or, in this case, homemade rye croutons).
This salad bids farewell to winter as spring awakens.
Salad components include…
Butter beans
Eggs (soft-, medium- or hard-boiled)
Blanched green beans
Boiled (or roasted) white and purple potatoes
Radicchio
Sorrel, should start popping up at the market early spring, has a tart/lemony flavor
Canned or fresh sardines and/or tuna (today I used canned)
Radish (or other spicy) microgreens
Rye Croutons
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
And now we need a dressing…to tie it all together.
I saw a big basket of tarragon just sitting by its lonesome. Nobody seemed to be buying any. It piqued my interest. Picked up a bunch and inhaled deeply. Alluring, seductive, aniseed aroma. Sold.
Tarragon pairs exceptionally well with eggs, fish, and potatoes (all of which I included in this salad).
This is a classic French tarragon-shallot vinaigrette.
I brought back these sardines from Spain (these particular sardines are smaller than the ones I usually find in NYC). I realize that sardines, canned or otherwise, don’t appeal to most, but for my fellow sardine lovers, canned sardines make a nice addition to this salad. You can always omit or substitute with a good quality canned tuna. Or, how about grilled shrimp or chicken.
Oh, and fresh grilled sardines would be a lovely addition. Now we’re talking.
Make it colorful…
Print
- Yield: 1 /2 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- t tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, shallot, and tarragon. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Stir in the mustard. In a thin, steady stream, add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cuisine: Salad
Does that mean 1 Tablespoon of Tarragon?