Candy Salad

Forgive me, I am going to go all Ina Garten on you with the lifestyle porn. I had a kicking dinner last night. The story starts Labor Day weekend where J and I go to River's Edge Bed and Breakfast for a much anticipated getaway. River's Edge is where J proposed five years ago (AAAAAWWWWWWWW!!!). I'd link to River's Edge but the owner is getting married and will be closing the bed and breakfast.

So among the many activities in our weekend of relaxation was visiting Chateau Morrisette, a winery nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains. After a lunch complete with a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge, we went to do a wine tasting and shop in their store. We were waylaid by a Chateau Morrisette employee who decided it was his job to give us a the low down on his gay love life and the gay love lives of every man over 50 in Floyd, VA. I'm glad we talked to him BEFORE the wine tasting otherwise I would have fallen to the floor giggling like a 12 year old. Along with our case of wine, we purchased the Fire Dog Citrus Cilantro Grapeseed Oil and the Late Harvest Riesling Vinegar.

So last night I decided to break out break out the oil and vinegar. I made tomato and Havarti tartines, essentially French crostini and a mesclun salad with some greens I got from Eastern Market. A vinaigrette with Citrus Cilantro Grapeseed Oil and the Late Harvest Reisling Vinegar is heaven in a bowl. The sweet, spicy, smoky flavors were all working together. Because of its strong flavor, I did use the oil sparingly in the vinaigrette, mixing it with some extra virgin olive oil. Even watered down, the dressing still had the overwhelming flavor of the oil. Both elements of the dressing were so aromatic and powerful that nothing else was needed, no salt or pepper. Even the bit of minced garlic I put in was subservient to the flavor of the oil and vinegar.

I sparingly drizzled the vinaigrette on a tartine and that was a bad move. The delicate flavor of the heirloom tomato was totally lost in the flavor of the vinaigrette. But the vinaigrette on the salad greens rocked my world. The bitterness of the greens stood up well to the sweet and smoky flavor of the vinaigrette. I was eating my salad as if it were a bowl of Ben and Jerry's. When I was done, I would get more salad leaves out and dip them in the vinaigrette at the bottom of the bowl as if the arugula was a potato chip. Seriously, this salad was like candy.