My Sunday was so familiar. Got up early and cleaned a bit while Burton started seeds (brussels sprouts, cumin, stevia, milkweed and chamomile), went out for breakfast (with his dad and brother, good dudes) and ran around the rest of the afternoon. Once we got home, we were both hungry but wanted something light after starting the day with such a gluttonous breakfast. And that’s how a salad dressing is born.

Preserved lemons are amazing. As you can see, the jar says 2/12 (the day I started them) but they’re already half gone. I try to let them ferment a month, but keep finding myself sneaking into the jar, sometimes just to dip in a finger to lick off the delicious salty-lemony brine. I’m a lemon fiend, it’s a shock I have any enamel left on my teeth. More of the process of making them is found on my charcuterie board post here. Generally people use just the rind but my preferred method is blending it all (seeds, pulp, rind, brine) and using a dollop on everything (in curries, pestos, pasta dishes, roasted chicken, desserts. The list is endless). Next jar I start I better bury in the garden, only to be dug up when we harvest in the fall.

This dressing is beautiful and thick, it hugs everything in the salad like they’re chemically bonded. You could put it on just plain lettuce and it would still be one hell of a salad.

ingredients

~2-4 tbsp preserved lemon puree

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves

1 packed tsp grated horseradish

1 tsp fennel seeds

3 stars of anise

Whisk together preserved lemon puree and vinegar, then slowly stream in the olive oil. Whisk the rest of the ingredients. Put into a jar and let sit at least 30 minutes before using. Avoid eating the star anise, feel free to strain it out after a day.

Salad includes:

The cooked: roasted walnuts, leeks, fresh chickpeas, broccoli and shallots. Farro cooked in leftover Coq au Vin broth. Soft boiled egg.

The raw: winter radishes, beet greens, spinach, kale, parsley, fennel tops, asparagus