Fall Apple Vinaigrette and the Seasonal Mixed Lettuce Salad

Apple Vinaigrette:

One of our trademark salads at Lowell’s is the Mixed Lettuces. We highlight the fresh, tender greens that we grow at Two Belly Acres and show the versatility of the greens throughout the changing of the seasons. In the spring we make a creamy green goddess dressing with crème fraîche and herbs. In summer, a light and acidic peach vinaigrette. And for our winter salad we showcase a Meyer lemon based citronette, served with persimmons or citrus segments. During the early fall we are lucky to have a plethora of fresh, local apples. Our Apple Vinaigrette is a fresh and tangy dressing that makes use of the bounty of fall apples in Sonoma County. This versatile and vegan vinaigrette can be paired with fresh farm lettuce, smoked fish, and grains. We like to use Gravenstein apples at the restaurant, but any crisp apple with a balanced sweet to tart flavor will do.

Ingredients:

2 large apples, peeled, cored and roughly diced
1 T Dijon mustard
¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 cup canola, grapeseed or other neutral salad oil
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Yields roughly 1 qt vinaigrette

Method:

Combine all ingredients except the oil in a high quality blender (such as a Vitamix). Blend well and slowly stream in the oil on the medium high setting using water to thin as necessary. If the emulsion breaks, you can remove the contents of the blender, add another tablespoon of mustard and re-emulsify. Season with salt and/or more vinegar to your liking. Will hold for 1 week in the refrigerator.