Yellow Vinaigrette

My secret weapon

I love this recipe because of it's bright yellow color. This is a simple vinaigrette that brightens up any salad. It's great for dressing a side salad of baby lettuce paired with a main course or a large potluck salad of shaved brussels sprouts. The taste is so rich, and the ingredients so simple, I make a large batch for the week ahead in an old honey jar I have.

The tool that makes this salad dressing so easy is the microplane. Mine is a wand style, and it was a gift, but it was probably under $10. I use it all the time! The trick to the microplane is to rinse it clean with water directly after use. This prevents any crusty pieces from sticking to the tiny teeth on the grate-like edges. That could be a real pain to clean if clogged.

Yellow Vinaigrette

1 lemon
1 giant clove garlic (or 2 small-medium)
3 T. feta cheese
3 T. honey
2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar

Over a medium jar, start by using the microplane to zest the entire lemon (make sure to wash it first). Only take off the outermost yellow layer of the lemon with the microplane, don't go too far into the white rind. Then add the juice of the lemon by either squeezing through mesh colander, so as to catch seeds, or squeeze into side bowl and pick out seeds by hand.

Next, peel garlic. My trick for doing this quickly is to take off the top and tip. This always seems to make the whole shell pop off in one or two pieces.