Summery Salad Dressings

Cooling down in a heated world.

“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” ― Voltaire

I used to post two quotes every morning when I woke up, and two more in the evening before logging off social media. I loved finding the most appropriate sayings from literary geniuses or political or historical figures, well-known voices that were able to capture, in a few perfect, lyrical words what I couldn’t quite say myself. The quotes I chose on any given day may have reflected my own humor — good, bad, or otherwise — or the overall mood of the world. I searched for beauty and inspiration. Or I expressed my anger and frustration in a concise, pithy, engaging turn of phrase. Sometimes they were sexy and other times sad, but they were always meant to make people pause and think, to provoke a reaction, emotional, sensual, or intellectual.

Now, all that come to mind are harsh words from the likes of Kurt Vonnegut (“War is now a form of TV entertainment”) and John Steinbeck (“All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal”) or even Calvin & Hobbes (“Dad, how do soldiers killing each other solve the world’s problems?”).

And I weep.

“God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” ― Mark Twain

There’s nothing for me to say today. The madmen are running the world, and mad men and kings dream only of war. As Smedley Butler so aptly captured it: “War is a racket.”

I plug away at my own work, as each of us do. Thank heavens there are those among us whose full-time job is fighting the evil, leaving the rest of us to carry on with everything else that makes the world turn. I love making people happy with my recipes and stories, and I am working tirelessly on several projects at once. (I have always found that working on three different things at once keeps me motivated, happy, and moving forward). We may be on the edge of another world war, and France is tipping further and further right, but the peonies, the daffodils, and the lilies of the valley are blooming outside, my cats toast themselves in the sunshine, and the first local asparagus, both the green and the white, are on the market.

“Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love the Voltaire quote I opened with. Today I am the song in the lifeboat, offering my first recipes of summer. Three simple salad dressings with three different personalities to whisk together, stick in the fridge, and pull out when a fast, fresh, cool meal is needed. Whether topping steamed or roasted vegetables, seared beef or chopped chicken, mixed greens, or a panoply of fruits and vegetables, you’ll find these dressings endlessly adaptable every day.

Asian-Style Dressing

Sear flank or another tender cut of beef marinated in soy and sesame oil; slice thinly. Lay the strips on a bed of mixed greens, a selection of raw sliced vegetables, including carrots, mushrooms, spring onions, sprouts, jarred artichokes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Drizzle on the dressing and top with crushed unsalted peanuts. This is a family favorite.

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice *

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

¼ teaspoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon freshly peeled and grated ginger, or ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground ginger, more to taste

1 clove garlic, finely minced

A few spring onions, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly

A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

• If limes are not available, this can be done with lemon juice, but add tablespoon by tablespoon until reaching desired tartness

Blend everything together in a jar with a lid, cover tightly, and shake for all you’re worth.

Creamy Horseradish Dressing

Excellent over steamed — warm or cooled — vegetables (I love it on green and wax beans, cauliflower, asparagus, or artichokes) or a plate of sliced summer tomatoes.

⅓ cup (115 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream

1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish

½ teaspoon Dijon or Dijon-style mustard

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or right in the measuring cup until well blended and smooth. Chill for about an hour before serving.

Herbed Buttermilk Citrus Dressing

This is marvelous on composed savory-sweet summer salads combining vegetables and fruit. Add some chopped seeds and grains for crunch.

½ cup (125 ml) full-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons crème fraîche (can be replaced with either sour cream or heavy cream, if needed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Fine zest of 1 small orange

¼ cup (65 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

Fine zest of 1 lime

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon honey or balsamic reduction

½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon minced fresh basil leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all of the ingredients together. Chill until ready to serve, whisking well before serving.

`Jamie Schler is an American food and culture writer — immersed in French culinary history — living in France where she owns a hotel, makes jam, and writes the Substack Life’s a Feast.

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