Lemon Vinaigrette

At the end of August (before the temperatures reached three-digit numbers), my husband and I spent three days In the Napa Valley. This time we chose Healdsburg as our headquarters. We had been there before with friends and enjoyed it. We visited several wineries and had some great food. One of the nights, we made reservation at Bravas. Travel & Leisure rates it as one of the top 20 tapas restaurants in the U.S. James Beard finalist, Mark Stark, is the executive chef. Mark and Terri Stark own and operate several restaurants in the area. My taste buds were elevated trying all the different tapas. Everything was top quality, the setting was simple and relaxing. We ate in the garden. The one dish that got my attention was a baby kale salad. 

Baby Kale Salad at Bravos

Mind you, I am not a kale salad person, but I ordered this one because of the preserved lemon vinaigrette. I enjoyed every bite of this the salad. Even my husband, (who as you all know is hard to please when it comes to vegetables and salads) liked it. It was our server’s first day on her job, and my maternal instinct kicked in. I helped her along since I was once a waitress at a Howard Johnson restaurant in Massachusetts when I first came to this country. Anyway, the server and I bonded and as a “thank you,“ I got the recipe for the preserved lemon vinaigrette. The recipe was for a large amount. It took some math and adjustment to get it where I liked the flavor as much as in the original vinaigrette. I made a few changes. I was lucky to find baby kale at Trader Joe’s. The baby kale reminds me of Rapunzel lettuces or field salad (Feldsalat). In English it is called lamb’s lettuce or māche. I have used this vinaigrette with other salads.  

The salad at Bravas was made with baby kale, shaved Manchego cheese, and slivered fennel. I have made it several times and love it. I used the dressing for another salad with strawberries, sliced onions (soaked in cold water) and avocados. Add a sautéed chicken breast or piece of salmon and you have a meal. The recipe for a delicious chicken breast covered with pretzel crumbs will be my next post.  

To make this recipe you will need preserved lemon. I make my own every year, click here for the recipe. You can also buy them ( Amazon has them). You will not regret having a jar of this North African delicacy in your refrigerator. It's great on avocado  toasts,  couscous, in cocktails, and anything you can think of.   

Print The Recipe

REcipe for preserved Lemon Vinaigrette 

This preserved lemon vinaigrette yields about 1 ¼  cup and will last in the fridge for about a week or longer. The preserved lemons are very salty, so add salt sparingly as needed. Do not rinse the preserved lemons. Make sure that the vinaigrette is silky smooth. My Vitamix did the job.

 
Ingredients:
1 generous TBS chopped shallots
a dash of black pepper 
1 generous TBS chopped preserved lemon 
2 TBS honey 
½ tsp. mustard
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup neutral oil  like canola oil 
½ cup sunflower oil

Directions:
Add shallots to the preserved lemon, honey and mustard to a mixer. I used my Vitamix. Puree the mix until everything is silky smooth. Slowly add the oil, creating a stable emulsification. Stir in the pepper and season with additional salt and honey if necessary. 

​Guten Appetit!
Recipe from the Bravas Restaurant in Healdsberg, CA
Adapted by sunnycovechef.com

Check out some of my other salad recipes. Click on the photo to get the recipe. 

Farro Salad

Vegetarian Lemon Ceasar Salad

Lentil Salad

A green salad with a honey citrus dressing