Salad dressings

[flatpackhamster]

Dear MN,

Salad is not a happy part of my existence. I recognise its value as something to fill a sandwich with once I can't cram any more cheese or ham in there. I also recognise its decorative ability. But I can't get enthused about it.

We're coming up to the time of year when my beloved parents, with their green fingers and greenhouse and green lawn, produce from their flowerbeds on a weekly basis their own body weight in mixed lettuce leaves. I shall be expected to share in this bounty with joy. Normally the stuff is left in the bottom of the fridge to become, over a period of a fortnight, a sort of gelatinous goo which I then scrape out and throw away.

This year I would like it to be different, so I'm appealing to the combined cerebra of MN to offer me some suggestions to make these boring, bland, hopelessly uninteresting foliages a bit more fun. Please could you offer me some suggestions for salad dressings. Don't worry about low fat, or healthy, or whether it's difficult. I'm looking for delicious and I'm always game to try something tricky in the kitchen.

Thanks in advance.

fph

Olive oil, honey, grainy mustard, lemon juice and salt. And maybe a teeny tiny bit of crushed garlic.

I am not a salad person either but this gets me to eat a whole massive bowl. (it's probably the honey )

Olive oil & lemon jiuce! with just a pinch of salt & pepper. Or a balsamic vinegar reduced down to a nice glaze.

Raspberry mint vinagerette - 5 tbsp raspberry balsamic, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Lemon Caesar - 1 teasp lemon zest, 3 tabsp lemon juice, 1 teasp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp anchovy paste (optional, but gives it a savoury depth), 1 teasp Worcestershire sauce, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp soured cream, salt & pepper

Thai dressing - Juice of half a lime, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, good glug of sesame oil, dash of dark soy sauce, an inch of fresh ginger and 1 clove of garlic both crushed, garlic in a jug. Good as a marinade, too.

Oh yes, olive oil and balsamic is our lazy dressing. Try Belazu balsamic, delicious (not cheap but you don't need much).

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try and let you know if foliage is any more appealing!