Tuesday, May 22, 2012

What else can you do with raspberry jam?

I never buy salad dressing - I always make my own. Sometimes it's as simple as vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt. Sometimes it gets a little more complicated. There are themes that repeat - lemon juice with a Greek seasoning blend or red wine vinegar with oregano, but most of the time I make just enough for the day, so even when the dressings are similar, they're never exactly the same.

Besides the usual suspects, I sometimes add other ingredients. Maybe a little cheese, or something sweet. It depends on what I have on hand and what I'm in the mood for.

This time, the added ingredient was raspberry jam. But not a regular raspberry jam - this is an uncooked jam from a company called The Jam, so it tastes a lot fresher.

Raspberry vinaigrette dressings are popular, and sometimes I'll order them at restaurants. But I've never gotten it exactly right at home, mostly because I couldn't find a raspberry flavor that was what I was looking for. This jam had the right flavor profile, with just enough sweetness and fresh raspberry flavor. It was just right.

It's also good on toast, but I have a feeling most of mine will end up on salad.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 cups olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons The Jam's raspberry jam (plus more for garnish)

Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well-combined and the dressing is emulsified.

Serve on salad greens.

If desired, add tiny splashes of jam to add a pop of bright color to the salad.

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