Salad Dressing

[Anna]

Hadn't realised Palestian olive oil existed - quick google reveals quite pricey £10 for 500ml. Possibly only available mail-order or big cities? I use Italian or Greek, whatever good quality one is on offer at the time. My sister went through a phase of using nut oils, hazelnut, walnut, etc. I thought the result was overpowering. Anyone thinking of the lime/coriander combo, as it's veering towards Thai/Oriental flavourings it goes very well with fish or fat prawns. Haven't tried it but Delia has a recipe for grilled Haloumi cheese with lime and caper vinaigrette, sounds quite nice.

[kernelbogey]

Hadn't realised Palestian olive oil existed - quick google reveals quite pricey £10 for 500ml....

It is distributed by an Israeli company, so buying it has an added symbolic value. My last bottle came via a Quaker Friend, who was selling them. Yes, same price.

[Richard Tarleton]

... clearly following the precept of Dr Johnson -

"It has been a common saying of physicians in England, that a cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing."
[ in James Boswell: Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides ]

Wonderful v I'd long forgotten that

[french frank]

"a cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then ..."

... made into a thinly sliced brown bread sandwich.

Or open on rye, as:

[Anna]

YES!! Just like my mother used to do, soaked in vinegar and pepper and in thin brown bread sarnies. Another salad she did when we were young (which was looked on with suspicion by schoolfriends coming to tea) was chicory salad with thinly sliced peeled oranges, dressed with black pepper, no vinaigrette because of the juice from the orange. Chicory is bitter but with the sweetness of the oranges (particularly blood oranges) it made for a very refreshing side salad, I think we usually had it with smoked mackerel or other oily fish.

[teamsaint]

rapeseed oil is very much the thing these days......

[teamsaint]

YES!! Just like my mother used to do, soaked in vinegar and pepper and in thin brown bread sarnies. Another salad she did when we were young (which was looked on with suspicion by schoolfriends coming to tea) was chicory salad with thinly sliced peeled oranges, dressed with black pepper, no vinaigrette because of the juice from the orange. Chicory is bitter but with the sweetness of the oranges (particularly blood oranges) it made for a very refreshing side salad, I think we usually had it with smoked mackerel or other oily fish.

this sounds interesting...tempted to give it a go with peppered mackerel.

[Nick Armstrong]

Any favourite dressing recipes?

If so - put 'em here!

[umslopogaas]

The comment about cucumber being only fit for throwing away, with which I largely agree, could also apply to medlars, which have to be "bletted", ie rotted, for several weeks before they are considered edible - or in my case, considered inedible.