Growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, my family was the rarity – eating organic salads made with real (not iceberg) lettuce every evening. My trendsetting mom’s insistence on organic leafy greens at the dinner table instilled in me a lifelong love of veggies. So when I found out that one of our employee benefits at Mountain Rose Herbs was the option to participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) with a local organic farm, I was ecstatic! Freshly picked lettuce makes a regular appearance in our weekly produce deliveries to the office. So I developed this vinaigrette to let the greens shine. Made-from-scratch dressing is so much tastier than what you can find at your grocery store, and you’ll rest easy knowing it’s free from chemicals and preservatives.
For the oil in the recipe, any culinary oil will do. But for a truly special salad dressing, I like to select one of our more unique oils like the organic avocado oil or organic pumpkin seed oil. Or for those overachieving home chefs, consider making infused herbal oil – my favorite combo includes organic lemongrass, organic anise seed, and organic orange peel.
Raychel Kolen, blog contributor, originally hails from the Midwest but has been calling Oregon her home for more than a decade. With her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa, Raychel enjoys storytelling in all its forms and especially relishes the opportunities to visit our farm partners in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe, shining a light on the remarkable efforts these hardworking farmers are doing to grow and nourish our beloved botanicals. When she isn’t thinking about marketing strategy or teaching workshops at the Mother Earth News Fair, Raychel can be found adventuring in the outdoors, foraging for wild mushrooms, fermenting fresh veggies in her kitchen, or hanging out with her hubby and sweet rescue dogs.
Growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, my family was the rarity – eating organic salads made with real (not iceberg) lettuce every evening. My trendsetting mom’s insistence on organic leafy greens at the dinner table instilled in me a lifelong love of veggies. So when I found out that one of our employee benefits at Mountain Rose Herbs was the option to participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) with a local organic farm, I was ecstatic! Freshly picked lettuce makes a regular appearance in our weekly produce deliveries to the office. So I developed this vinaigrette to let the greens shine. Made-from-scratch dressing is so much tastier than what you can find at your grocery store, and you’ll rest easy knowing it’s free from chemicals and preservatives.
For the oil in the recipe, any culinary oil will do. But for a truly special salad dressing, I like to select one of our more unique oils like the organic avocado oil or organic pumpkin seed oil. Or for those overachieving home chefs, consider making infused herbal oil – my favorite combo includes organic lemongrass, organic anise seed, and organic orange peel.
Raychel Kolen, blog contributor, originally hails from the Midwest but has been calling Oregon her home for more than a decade. With her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa, Raychel enjoys storytelling in all its forms and especially relishes the opportunities to visit our farm partners in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe, shining a light on the remarkable efforts these hardworking farmers are doing to grow and nourish our beloved botanicals. When she isn’t thinking about marketing strategy or teaching workshops at the Mother Earth News Fair, Raychel can be found adventuring in the outdoors, foraging for wild mushrooms, fermenting fresh veggies in her kitchen, or hanging out with her hubby and sweet rescue dogs.
