Moving along,

Hey  Cyberspacers,
         In order to move along  with my earlier reference to salads taking center stage when I was in Co, . I've got to give you some background on my approach to salads.
          A previous refrence to a balsamic vinaigrette needs a little clarification. I'm not sure how it happened, but soon after I got out of culinary school, probably when I was working in a corporate office, I was full of ideas and decided that a straight balsamic vinaigrette, made with just balsamic vinegar and virgin olive oil produced a vinaigrette that was very heavy. So my solution was this.
          Balsamic vinegar vinaigrette
            1 Tbls. dry mustard
            Dash of granulated garlic
            1/4tsp. each of salt and pepper
            1 1/2 oz. rice wine vinegar
            1/2 oz. red wine vinegar
            2  oz. balsamic vinegar
            4 oz.  olive oil
OK so why did I come to this observation? When I tasted balsamic vinaigrette, they were to heavy tasting. So I added rice wine vinegar for sweetness, a little rtd wine vinegar for tartness, and balsamic for the dominant flavor.  Also, I use only pure olive oil for my vinaigrette because virgin olive oil, to my mind comes across as very heavy for American tastes. The result is a refreshing and bright vinaigrette.

         I guess that's all for today. I' ve got more insights on salad for tomorrow.   Ciao for now  Bob