Our feet are now firmly planted in the spring season. The first asparagus, wild leeks and soon-to-be-seen fiddleheads are (in a chef’s world) definitely the most exciting part about this time of year. And what better way to celebrate this than combining grilled vegetables and fresh Spring Onion Vinaigrette.
In most grocery stores we see an entire aisle dedicated to pre-made processed salad dressing, which, in our opinion, can mask the freshness of the season. We are not going to lie to you and tell you that vinaigrettes are low fat but we will say that a little bit of a well made dressing will go a long way – they will make you crave a tasty fresh salad with a nicely prepared dressing.
Homemade vinaigrettes are fresh, vibrant and showcase what you are dressing. More often than not, when we are cooking for groups of gourmands, at in-home dinner parties, it is the salad course that shines through, and is the surprise hit of the night. The Spring Onion Vinaigrette is just that thing.
Fill your pantry with a variety of different oils and vinegars and you will never run out of combinations of new vinaigrettes to suit your dinner. Some of our favourite combinations are: aged sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and finely chopped shallots; Champagne vinegar and cold-pressed canola oil; rice wine vinegar, which is nice and mild, pairs well with cucumber and herbs. The standard ratio of oil to vinegar that we use is three parts oil to one part vinegar; season always with a little salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar if you like.
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Spring Onion Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette:
- 1 bunch green onions, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Vegetables:
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced (1/2 inch)
- 1 zucchini, sliced on the bias (1/2 inch)
- 1 red onion, in rings
- 6 green onions, trimmed
- 1 red pepper, quartered
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 150g goat’s cheese, crumbled
- 1 handful of chopped Italian parsley
Place eggplant slices on a cooling rack and sprinkle with salt; this will draw out any bitter liquid;
Toss all vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper;
Place on a pre-heated grill and grill on both sides, about two minutes per side;
Once all of the vegetables have grill marks on them, return to a large bowl – they will continue to cook in the bowl, so ensure that you don’t overcook the vegetables on the grill;
Toss with goat’s cheese, parsley and half of the Spring Onion Vinaigrette;
Divide among six salad plates and drizzle with more vinaigrette; offer freshly ground black pepper.
