Champagne Vinaigrette

If you were one of the millions who toasted in 2014 with some Champagne, your consumption of this sparkling wine may be one reserved for that yearly or those special occasion experiences. Or you might be someone who enjoys this sparkling wine on a routine, regular basis (there is at least one of my friends that I know this to be true). But have you ever wondered how in the 21st century some still associate this wine with its' early 17th century reputation? (That being a beverage considered to be one consumed only by royalty, the wealthy and the powerful, in other words, a luxury not within reach of pretty much everyone else.) Who would have thought a marketing plan conceived in the 1600s would have had a longevity lasting centuries?

So if on some level Champagne still retains some of its' centuries old reputation as an indulgence, think of how you might make your friends and family feel if you served them a salad dressed with a Champagne Vinaigrette rather than with one simply called a Vinaigrette. In borrowing (rather liberally) from some of the words in the lyrics of Lorde's song "Royals", you might just be considered the Queen Bee that lets everyone live a different kind of fantasy. I am here to tell you that your reputation as a hostess and cook could be elevated to even higher levels and is as simple as using a Champagne vinegar in your vinaigrette instead of using a balsamic, plain, apple cider or any one of those other flavored vinegars that line the shelves at the store. And as an added bonus you neither need to have champagne tastes or a champagne income to make this party on your palate vinaigrette.

The recipe for the Champagne Vinaigrette was shared by Ina Garten, the quintessential culinary Queen Bee, more than ten years ago. However, she called it a Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette, not a Champagne Vinaigrette. Not that I would presume on any level to think Ina isn't a masterfully brilliant cook (a level I only fantasize about becoming), I think if she had just named it Champagne Vinaigrette it might have gone viral and launched a whole line of bottled vinaigrettes with sales exceeding all other brands. But since Ina and I are not in the same circles (on so many levels), I have never been able to share this suggestion with her. So instead I am sharing it with YOU (and yes, I hope that someday the 'you' might also include Ina)!

All you need to make this vinaigrette are seven ingredients: Kosher salt, the yolk of a large egg, two cloves of garlic (minced), black pepper, dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil and, last but not least, the Champagne vinegar. Use the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can. I have my favorites (and some have been known to be on the pricey side), but the one for less than $10.00 from Sur La Table is really, really very good.

In a medium sized bowl, you will mix together the Kosher salt, the yolk of a large egg, two cloves of garlic (minced), black pepper, dijon mustard, and Champagne vinegar. Using a whisk you will slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil. Adding the olive oil slowly is important as you want the vinaigrette to be perfectly emulsified. If you add the olive oil all in at once, it will not come together and not have a creaminess to it. That's it, that's all it takes to make this Champagne Vinaigrette. It could not be any more simple.

This vinaigrette works well with all sorts of greens. Spring mix, baby spinach, baby arugula, baby lettuces, baby Romaine, Bibb or any combination of these. Even though you don't need anything other than the Champagne Vinaigrette to make a great salad, I like to add additional textures and tastes. My favorite additional salad ingredient combination is goat cheese, sliced apples (Honey Crisps or Fujis) and dried cherries. I love how the creaminess of the goat cheese, the crispness of the apples and the tartness of the dried cherries transforms the experience of eating salad.

My second favorite salad ingredient combination is Blue Cheese (Maytag), thinly sliced red onions and toasted or glazed cinnamon pecans. The number of salad ingredient combinations are endless and might even change with the seasons. For example, in the summer you might use fresh blueberries, strawberries or blackberries instead of dried fruits. Whether you add any other ingredients or not, this vinaigrette will make having a salad for lunch or for dinner a luxury. A luxury you can afford to give yourself everyday.

Recipe
Champagne Vinaigrette (An oh so slight change to Ina Garten's Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette recipe)

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (recommend Maille)
2 cloves minced garlic (3 if you like a stronger garlic flavor in your salad)
1 room temperature egg yolk (from a large egg)
3/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Lettuces or salad greens of your choice (works well with a spring mix, arugula, baby spinach, baby lettuces, or a mixture of any of these)
Optional: goat cheese, dried cherries and apples or Maytag blue cheese, pecans and red onions

Directions
1. Whisk together the champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic, egg yolk, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
2. Slowly whisk in the 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil so the mixture emulsifies perfectly.
3. Dress your salad greens with enough of the vinaigrette to moisten (be careful not to over dress).
4. Serve salad as is or add your favorite combination of cheeses, fruits and nuts. The combinations are endless but my favorites are (1) goat cheese, dried cherries and sliced apples (Honey Crisp or Fuji) and (2) Maytag blue cheese, thinly sliced red onions and toasted or caramelized pecans.

I am not one to over think or dwell on New Year's resolutions. How many of us really remember what they were midway through the year?  Or is that we really just want to forget them? How many of us keep them guarded secrets as if sharing them somehow affects our ability to accomplish them? Forgive me if I cause any of you to crinkle your forehead, bang your head against the wall, or whisper 'sheesh' under your breath, but I just don't get the reason for all the secrecy around one's resolutions. Wouldn't you think the more people you have cheering you on and helping you to achieve your goals would be a good thing? Since most of us forget that list of resolutions at some point during the year anyway, it is probably not likely that someone who can't remember (and didn't accomplish) theirs will call you out if you didn't accomplish yours.

So instead of having specific goals (for all of the aforementioned reasons), I have moved to a theme based New Year's Resolution  (i.e., Life is Short). Any of you who had experienced a significant life event or ever had a health wake-up call also might have changed the lens through which you see the world, life, and even yourself. The lens of how you see the path to happiness and health might have shifted from the finite list of things to do to the figuring out of how to match and be consistent with how your intents and actions impact your life.

Starting the new year with a simple, healthy recipe on the blog just to validate my guiding theme for the year wasn't the motivator for sharing the Champagne Vinaigrette recipe today. I have been wanting to post this recipe for awhile and for some reason just never got around to it. But maybe I was subliminally pushed into posting it today. The Champagne Vinaigrette is easy and quick to make (giving me time to do other things), relatively healthy (giving me the opportunity to expend my limited number of calories on other things) and one without hard to find, expensive ingredients (giving me the ability to allocate my limited resources to a few luxuries or to save money, although I have luxury leaning tendencies which in my world fits the life is short theme). If you haven't learned this yet, I have rationalization tendencies too. Happy new year! Good luck with all that you wish and hope for for yourself in the year ahead.