Food should taste like food

How does one make a salad dressing without a lemon? This I wonder. The simple balance of citrus and a nice olive oil with a bit of sea salt and pepper is enough to really change simple greens into a wonderful salad or a bright addition to any protein. The truth is that many restaurants have forgotten the simple things about cooking and turn to finding flavor in a can or bottle. 

Last week while making a simple green salad to add to a egg frittata, I found myself with out a dressing, instead of running home to retrieve the dressing that I had prepared the day before and left sitting on my counter.  I opted for recreating a dressing. I had all the major components for the dressing with the exception of a lemon. 

Wildwood’s commercial kitchen is located in a food emporium. The names of the others restaurants in this said emporium will remain absence here to protect the innocence, but there are some major companies within sight all of which serve salad items. I made my way through all of them begging for a lemon. Not one store had a fresh lemon to offer. I was crestfallen not only for the loss of this beautiful dressing I was making but for the fact that not one store uses fresh citrus in their salad dressings! I finally found the lemon at Dunkin for they use lemon wedges for their ice tea. This experience has brought me to the strong conclusion that food should taste like food and food should taste like the earth the wind the rain and the sun! In the sprint of the lemon and the wonders of spring I offer you this Basil lemon oil dressing: 

Ingredients: 

I clove garlic 

10 leaves basil 

Juice of one lemon 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tsp sugar 

virgin olive oil to taste 

Sea salt to taste 

Fresh black pepper to taste 

Combine peeled garlic, basil leaves, lemon juice, sugar and mustard in food processor, blend until forms a paste. Gradually add the oil till it becomes the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste 

Drizzle over a simple greens and enjoy