Vinaigrette Dressing

Makes about 1 ½ cups of dressing

Preparation time: 15 minutes

This vinaigrette is closer to what you'll find in a restaurant in Germany or Italy--light on the vinegar and heavy on the olive oil. Even if you don't like anchovies, don't leave them out. The flavor doesn't come through but they are critical to the finished product. You can try to do it with spices other than dill. I have, but I always come back to dill. The dressing is easiest to make in a shaker of some sort, but you can just whisk it together in a bowl.

• 1 clove of minced garlic or two teaspoons of garlic salt
• 2 inch bead of anchovy paste (or two whole anchovies mashed up)
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt (omit if you use the garlic salt)
• 1 ½ cups of olive oil

1. If you remember to do it, let the garlic clove sit in the olive oil for a few hours. Then remove it, chop it finely and put it in a shaker or bowl. If you don't remember, use two teaspoons of garlic salt instead and omit the salt.
2. Add the 2-inch bead of anchovy paste, the dill, black pepper, mustard and vinegar. I prefer rice wine vinegar for its mildness. But any vinegar will work, even balsamic.
3. Pour in olive oil and shake vigorously to combine the ingredients and dissolve as much of the anchovy as possible. If you used a bowl, pour the olive oil into the ingredients in a stream, whisking vigorously to combine.
4. Toss with whatever combination of greens and fresh vegetables you like.

The Extra Touch: Add some diced chicken to your salad and make a meal out of it. Toss in some blue cheese crumbles and serve with garlic bread and white wine. It's a great Saturday night stay-at-home-with-a-movie light supper.