Matchless Salad Dressing

i bet you were thinking, "gosh I never use matches in my salad, or dressing for that matter" well I mean to say that it would be hard to find a better match for salad than this dressing.

It might just be the perfect salad dressing. I have had this recipe for years. I first acquired it when I was a personal assistant/nanny in the mid 90's. June of 1996 to be exact. I have the same beat up, wrinkled, folded and stained recipe card. Worn like good leather. Originally this dressing was for a mammoth Cobb Salad I would make, it has now had evolved into a staple in our fridge. I make a batch every other week. We enjoy it on , salad (duh), chicken, for dipping fresh warm bread in, drizzled over a hot steak, veggies, etc.

Matchless, unbeatable, perfect...you decide.

I like to make it it a large mason jar

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar (the better the quality the better the dressing) (I splurge here!)
1 1/2 Tsp Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice (I prefer lime)
3/4 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Tsp Dry English Mustard
1 Clove Crushed Garlic (more or less depending on who your smooching later)
3/4 C Safflower Oil
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp White sugar (brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar will work)
1 Tsp Salt (I use Kosher Salt or Fleur de Sel)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

I love to add crushed rose pepper for color! Beautiful especially for dipping.

I don't go crazy if I don't have all the ingredients like fresh lime or lemon juice, the little sweetener is changeable, and any light oil like vegetable, safflower, Canola oil will work, but everything else you should have to make it great.
Enjoy.

Oh for the Cobb Salad


1/2 head Bib (aka butter) Lettuce
1/2 head Romain Lettuce
1 small head Chicory
1/2 bunch Watercress

Mix all the greens place in large bowl.
The beauty of a "matchless" Cobb Salad is the presentation (like most food, except meat loaf)
I like to keep all ingredients lined up on top of the greens.
Then nothing sinks to the bottom of the bowl and we miss out on the eggs
or worse the bacon bits.

Display over Greens
2 Medium Tomatoes (peeled, seeded, chopped, its a pain but do it anyway)
2 Poached Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 slices Chopped Crispy Bacon (get the deli kind, bacon bits are illegal)
3 H.B.'s HB's is what we fondly call Hard Boiled Eggs (slice across the yolk for display)
1/2 C Roquefort/Blue Cheese crumbled
1 whole Avocado
2 Tsp Salt

You can prep most of the ingredients a day in advance, if I make this for a party I bring the bowl and all the ingredients in separate Ziploc baggies so I can compile upon arrival. I keep the dressing separate so the greens don't go limp. I like to rinse the lettuce then lay it out over a towel, careful not to lump green together then roll up. It keeps fresh that way.

The salad is a meal in itself. Yum