There is not much summer left here in Denver, we’ve had our first snow, the leaves are a healthy mix of yellows, reds and oranges and fall is settling in but I’m not quiet ready to let go of summer and summer foods. This salad is my mix of summer and fall on a plate. This salad is a bed of spinach topped with a sliced Palisade Peach, pickled beets, goat cheese, chopped pecans and dressed with my signature balsamic vinaigrette. We very rarely have salad dressings in the house so a quick vinaigrette is my go-to. I always start with the same ratio: 1 unit vinegar, 1/3 unit Dijon mustard, and 3 units olive oil. If I’m getting wild, I’ll add a bit of minced garlic otherwise it’s just a little salt and pepper to taste and voilà…dressing!

Enjoy this vinaigrette and get wild with your salad creations!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a small bowl add the mustard, vinegar and oil. Using a small whisk, start in the center of the mustard, slowly whisking to incorporate the olive oil.

You can also make this in a jar. Add all the ingredients to jar, secure the lid and shake well.

Dressing can be stored for up to a week at room temperature.

Notes

You can adjust this to your taste by using a different vinegar or by adding more vinegar or oil.