Argentina and Kansas have very little in common, except: beef. The Argentines know they have great meat, and they show that by serving it at practically every meal. Luckily for me, I am no vegetarian and thoroughly enjoy a delicious steak. However, like at home in the good ol' state of Kansas, vegetables with the meal were hard to come by.
The Argentine definition of a salad (which rarely appeared on a restaurant menu) consisted of lettuce and grated carrot, with the occasional chopped tomato or hard boiled egg. With this in mind, it was no surprise that salad dressing was not available in grocery stores (at least not in mine). But no complaints from me as at home, I tend to steer clear of the creamy Ranch and Thousand Island dressings and stick to a light drizzle of Italian dressing.
When we did eat "salad", my host-mother made a quick and very tasty dressing. It is so simple and healthy (not to mention cheap) I cannot believe I had not thought of it myself! I will never go back to store bought dressings again.
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pierced with a sharp knife
2 tsp whole peppercorns, leveled
Directions
1. Pour EVOO into container.
2. Add garlic and peppercorns.
3. Cover with lid or cling wrap and store in cupboard,
not in fridge.
5. Drizzle onto salad.
6. Once all dressing has been used, simply add another 1/2 cup EVOO.
TIPS
- Once EVOO has been replenished twice, I recommend using the garlic and peppercorns to season steak on the grill or used for frying onions.
- Best if dressing is left a couple hours before first use to allow garlic to absorb and permeate oil.
Bon appétit!
