Versatile summer topping

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 16

Versatile summer topping

Alison Holst’s

Food Facts

Here is my favourite allpurpose dressing. It varies little each time I make it, depending on what ingredients I have finished, and forgotten to replace, or what I simply cannot find when I am mixing it. It is especially useful at this time of year, when the weather is still warm, but cold food is no longer a novelty. Now the salads and simply-prepared foods which you have been serving for several months need a “lift” to make them more interesting. Try pouring this over tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, mild red onions or cu-

cumbers. Use it on roomtemperature boiled potatoes instead of using a creamy dressing. Pour it over drained cooked beans, carrots and cauliflower, and serve them warm or at room temperature. Liven up canned tuna, asparagus, tongues or other canned “salad” foods with it. Spoon it over hardboiled eggs, cold cooked lamb, or fish which has been baked whole in foil, then skinned and filleted. To mix the dressing really quickly, drop all the ingredients into a food processor or blender, but take care not to

overmix, so you finish up with a colourless mixture — you should have flecks of red and green through the dressing. You can make a perfectly satisfactory mixture by chopping the solid ingredients finely, then shaking and storing the mixture in a screw topped coffee jar. If you like olive oil, replace half the corn oil with it. If you have fresh herbs in the garden, add a few sprigs of one or two different varieties each time you make the dressing. If you double the recipe, or intend to use the dressing sparingly over a long time, do not add the parsley to the basic mixture, but stir it in to serving-sized quantities, just before use. 1 cup corn oil ■A cup cider or wine vinegar 2 tablespoons dry sherry or dry white wine 1 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons chopped red pepper 2 tablespoons capers 2 tablespoons chopped gherkin

2 tablespoons chopped parsley ‘/a teaspoon dried tarragon Optional ingredients: add one or more of the following to vary the flavour: V2 teaspoon paprika ■A teaspoon curry powder ■A teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 2 teaspoons mild mixed mustard s ;,,S 2 tablespoons green or black olives, chopped Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until solid ingredients are finely chopped, or chop solid ingredients finely before combining all ingredients in a jar with a screw top. Store dressing in refrigerator and shake before use. Pour dressing over crisp, raw ingredients just before serving. Pour it over cooked or soft textured ingredients ahead of serving time, so the dressing will have time to flavour the food well. „ '