When my husband and I dropped our son off at college in Santa Cruz, California, we were blown away by the local ingredients (e.g. organic produce grown and served on campus) and loved how the student cafeterias featured other local products like salad dressings. We saw beautiful young adults from all over the globe sitting under trees reading books

Organic horticulture grown on campus at U.C.S.C. is served on campus to lucky U.C.S.C. students.

and thought…..”How wonderful to be able to just read and learn every day while someone else cooks for you and you get to eat these types of wonderful ingredients!”. Youth may indeed be wasted on the young. 

But not all salad dressings are created equal. While there are many dressings in the marketplace that are healthy and free of GMOs, dangerous pesticides and other questionable ingredients, there are many that aren’t. Just pick up random bottles when you’re in the market and read the label. 

Not only are homemade salad dressings budget-friendly and quick and easy to make, but you can really taste the salad ingredients. In my opinion, the dressing should enhance the salad itself, not drown it’s flavor. 

The other trick that my friend Maura showed me is put VERY little dressing on the salad and be SURE to add Salt and Pepper directly onto the salad itself (not just the dressing). 

The trick to a dressing a delicious salad is add very little dressing and add Salt and Pepper directly on the greens.

• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2-1 Teaspoon Dijon (or just a small squirt! I don’t usually measure frankly).
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Mix with a fork. Add oil last. No need to add the oil slowly because the mustard will emulsify the dressing together. I also like to add sugar to this recipe when I top a salad that includes fruit.

easy dressing recipe healthy balsamic vinegar california restaurant