Salad Dressing

This is one of my everyday vinaigrettes. The wood aging of the sherry vinegar creates a wonderfully complex flavor that is enhanced by the walnut oil. Sherry vinegar is a little more expensive than red wine vinegar, but it has a higher acidity so you use less. Pair this dressing with strongly flavored salad greens, cheeses, nuts, and seasonal fruits, like in my Seasonal Country Salad.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Farfalle with Diced Tomatoes and Feta Cheese.

Actress Kristin Chenoweth shares a salad-dressing recipe she got from her mother.

Any kind of flatbread or crusty roll is perfect with this Moroccan concoction. You could also use the dip as a salad dressing or sauce for fish.

This tangy dressing really livens up a plate of crisp salad greens. It's also great on a baked potato or as a dip.

This is our basic vinaigrette, three parts oil, one part acid, pared almost to its essentials—no shallots, no salt and pepper—so that it can be used almost like a sauce base. The mustard adds flavor and strengthens the emulsion. Any number of additional ingredients may be added to it, depending on how it's to be used. Most often it's used to dress greens that have been seasoned with salt and tossed with fresh herbs, as with the Bibb Lettuce Salad .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A lovely first-course salad. Pears contribute sweetness to the dish; the Italian bacon called pancetta adds a nice salty crunch.

An elegant salad that would add a sophisticated touch to any Thanksgiving menu.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.