spa vinaigrette

As a celebration for another great year at Les Gourmettes Cooking School, Barb treated me and Kim to a spa day. It was scheduled for early June, but I got food poisoning the night before and could not go with them. Barb, sweetly scheduled another date for after my summer classes at Les Petites Gourmettes, and she and I had a great time a week ago at the Willow Springs Spa at the Scottsdale Princess. After our treatments, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. We each ordered the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad. It was your basic Cobb, with the exception of the herb vinaigrette… which was outstanding.  I asked the waiter if the chef might be willing to share the recipe. I gave him my email, and sure enough, within an hour of arriving home, it popped into my inbox.

I cut the recipe he sent in half. You may want to cut it in half again, it still makes over 3 cups, and although that is a lot, it is delicious on more than just salads. I drizzled it on hot fresh corn on the cob and as the dressing for a tomato-mozzarella salad. Both were fabulous.

You can wing it with the herb quantities if you don’t have a scale or just don’t feel like weighing everything, nothing has to be exact. Look at the photo I posted of all the herbs and it will give you a good idea of the amounts needed for each. I can tell you that 1.25-ounces of chives is two of those little herb boxes you get in the produce section. You can take it from there.

Thank you, Barb, for a relaxing and luxurious day – what a generous gift and treat! xoxo

Willow Springs Spa Herbal Vinaigrette

1 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon honey
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly  chopped
1.25 ounces chives
1-ounce basil leaves
1.25 ounces parsley leaves
1/3 ounce oregano leaves
2/3 ounce chervil leaves
2/3 ounce mint leaves
2/3 ounce cilantro leaves
2/3 ounce thyme leaves
1  1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the vinegar, honey, and Dijon in a blender or food processor. Add the shallot and all the herbs. Blend together until well combined. 

With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube, blending until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 3 1/4 cups