Jam Jar Dressings

i love watching cooking shows and eating! am i alone here? i don't think so. there's something so satisfying about it, your eating something delicious and watching someone make something delicious at the same time. what could be better, really? if you havent done this before i highly recomend doing so.

while eating and viewing i came across a great idea for a blog post. i was watching the program, Hugh's Three Good Things, with Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall, and having a bowl of stir fried kale with steamed rice. and one of his recipes was for jam jar salad dressing, (which i make myself at home all the time), and bingo, a blog post was born.

im not the first person to make salad dressing this way, but i still thought i'd share a couple of my favourite recipes for salad dressing made in a jam jar. and since i have been chasing my tail all week trying to stay on top of things. these jam jar dressing recipes fit right in, they are easy to whip up in a rush - just throw your salad items into a bowl, shake up a jam jar full of dressing and go! (or go veg out on the couch watching cooking shows!)

My favourite seed sowing guide, better than an iphone app!

i did find time this week to sow some seeds in the window sill for the polytunnel. tomatoes (4 types - money maker, sungold and tigerella were saved seed from last year, and a new one: chocolate stripe), tomatillos, two varieties of aubergine, and 2 dozen modules of sweet peas (for outside). i also got new nest boxes attached to the outside of my hen house. which is wonderful, it means i don't have to go inside the run to collect the eggs, just open a door and presto! the eggs are collected.

d.i.y. hen house made from a dog house

the following recipes keep well sealed in the fridge. as with most recipes you should taste the flavours and adjust to your liking. i find a oil to acid ratio of 3/1 makes the best dressing. but some may prefer a 4/1 ratio. try using fancy oils too, like hazelnut oil or aragan oil. specialty vinegars make lovely salad dressings too, if you have homemade preserves you can make a delcious fruity dressing by adding a tablespoon to your dressing.

does anyone else have a favourite homemade dressing combination? am i right by saying there's never a reason to buy salad dressing? they're so easy to make with just a few pantry ingredients.

some of my new seeds! i wonder if i'll get any melons from the polytunnel this year?

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Jam Jar Dressing #1 - Lemony  Honey Mustard

3 tablespoon lemon juice
9 tablespoon olive oil or rapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons honey
pinch of salt
fresh black pepper

• place all ingredients in a jam jar with tigh fitting lid, shake and serve

Jam Jar Dressing #2 - Sesame Soya

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
7 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark soya sauce

• place all ingredients in a jam jar with tigh fitting lid, shake and serve

Jam Jar Dressing #3 - Balsamic and Herb

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (white or black)
9 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 clove finely minced garlic
pinch of salt
fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (like: parsley, thyme, rosemary or oregano)

• place all ingredients in a jam jar with tigh fitting lid, shake and serve