Good As Gold Vinaigrette

I love going to the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market on Tuesday afternoons! It's fairly small and not terribly crowded; so it's a wonderful opportunity to chat with the vendors and to revel in baked goods, fresh herbs, live music, and gorgeous plants, fruits and vegetables.

Last week, I bought some beautiful salad greens that also came with an extra perk: vibrant edible flowers. Why be boring with iceberg lettuce, when you can have a freshly picked variety of leaves and the added bonus of a unique ingredient?

So I hardly wanted to pour plain ol' grocery store salad dressing onto such a lovely accompaniment to my dinner! And that's when I started tinkering with a little of this and a splash of that to make a light, sweet vinaigrette that was the perfect complement to the freshness of the lettuce and the twinge of zest from the flowers.

I started with the basics: oil and vinegar. From there, I simply used what I had - leftover pineapple juice, a lime waiting for a purpose in life, and a touch of hot sauce when the vinaigrette just needed a little bit of oomph.

This dressing would be ideal for any salad featuring chicken or fruit, as well, if you turn it into a meal rather than a side dish.

Good As Gold Vinaigrette

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon balsamic vinegar (see note below)
1 tablespoon pineapple juice concentrate
juice from 1/4 lime
pinch of kosher salt
4 drops cayenne pepper sauce

Whisk together all ingredients, and drizzle over salad.

Note: Lemon balsamic vinegar is available at Fustini's Oils and Vinegars, a proud Michigan-based franchise. You can use 1/2 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice as a substitute for the lemon balsamic vinegar.