Guest Post: Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

I have the great joy of being part of The Academy for Spiritual Formation #30. We meet together for a week, four times a year for two years. Last week was session 6. Only 2 remain. I am already grieving the end of this transformational experience. One of the things I will miss greatly is talking with my food friend, Blake. He is a chef trained in classic French and Italian Provincial cooking (*see below recipe for details*) and someone who continues to teach me so much about food. I am a simple cook--look around, see what I've got, throw it together in a pot, and dinner is served. Blake really stirs creativity within me to experiment and try new things. We were talking about salad dressings during one of our meals last week, and he shared one of his favorites with me, and with his permission I'm passing it along.

With the holidays coming up there will be full days devoted to food preparation, and I am putting this one on my list to include. Simple ingredients, a little extra time and vitamin L(ove) will make this recipe a new holiday favorite at our house. I hope the same for you.

Ingredients
2 shallots
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dijon mustard
Juice of one lemon
2-3 T honey
1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T fresh tarragon
1 t fresh thyme
1 t fresh mint (optional

Directions

Peel two shallots and brush them thoroughly with extra virgin olive oil.  Place them in a loosely enclosed aluminum foil tent with a dash of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste).  Place tent in a 350 degree oven until translucent (14 to 18 minutes).  Pull the shallots out of foil and place them on cutting board; let them sit until they return to room temperature (15 minutes).  Finely dice the shallots until fully minced into tiny pieces.  Pulverize the tiny pieces of diced shallots in a mortar and pestle until you form a paste.

Place the roasted shallot paste into the bottom of a large mixing bowl (stainless steel or plastic).  Add one (heaping) tablespoon of fine Dijon mustard.  Add sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste).  Squeeze in juice from one fresh lemon.  Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of fine quality honey (depending on sweetness desired).  Add 1 cup of fine quality white balsamic vinegar.  Add 2 cups of fine quality extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk until thoroughly incorporated.  Stir in freshly minced tarragon (2 tablespoons).  Add one teaspoon of fresh thyme (stripped from stem).  

For added "pizazz", add one teaspoon of fresh mint (optional).

*The French were the first culture to master the culinary arts.  They were so wealthy and had the leisure time to explore this realm.  However, most of their recipes originated with the peasant, working class.  Most French cooking is just an "artsy" recapitulation of a humble, modest peasant dish.  This same style of cooking spread wildly throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.