Better than store bought Salad Dressings

Last year, in one of Ray's travels, he brought home a bottle of very delicious garlicky oil and vinegar dressing, everyone loved it, including me, but all good things end, so did this great dressing. But I figured out how to make a salad dressing just as good or even better than the one in the bottle, in fact I used the same bottle, filling it with my own version, no one could tell the difference....Note: just know that if you use Olive oil, then refridgerate left overs, the oil solidifies, just be sure to take left over dressing out at least an hour before using it, to bring the oil back to liquid.

Easy Salad Dressing

Makes 3-1/2 cups

3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced with garlic press
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a quart sized mason jar with a close fitting lid, measure in all ingredients, tightly close the jar, shake until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Let stand for 20 minutes to meld flavours together, shake again, then taste for seasoning, here you can adjust for more vinegar or oil, making sure it it more or less 45% vinegar to oil, adding more salt or cracked pepper.
The very best and really only way to test if your salad dressing is right is to pour it on a few varieties of lettuce leaves, then you know if you have the correct acid to oil ratio.

Another great Olive oil Salad Dressing

1/2 cup red or white wine, or white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
3/4-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of hot pepper flakes, or a few torn leaves of fresh thyme, or basil, optional

Measure all ingredients into a 2 cup mason jar, close lid tightly, shake thoroughly, let stand for a while, shake again, then taste for seasoning. I have left you the choice of vinegars and with that choice, depending on the sweetness of the vinegar, to add a bit of honey or not. this is the basis of many flavours that you can add, including hot peppers, fresh basil, fresh thyme, or any other fresh herb in season. This dressing is great on a variety of leafy lettuce including romaine. I often add curls of Parmesan to this salad, just to give it a bit more earthy saltiness, the umami, if you will.

Caesar Dressing
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
3-4 oil cured anchovies, smashed with mortar and pestle
2-3 cloves of garlic, also smashed with mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Using you mortar and pestle, or a small grinder, toss in the anchovies, garlic, salt, and a tablespoon or so of the olive oil, smash/ grind with the pestle until a paste forms, scrape out into a quart size mason jar, add the rest of the ingredients, including the grated Parmesan cheese, tightly close the jar, shake well, let stand for 30 minutes, shake again, then taste on a piece of romaine lettuce. Adjust for pepper, add more parmesan cheese to the finished salad.
Don't like anchovies? Use bacon bits to achieve the same sort of salty/smoky flavour.