I’m a fan of simple and fresh recipes in the summer that utilize seasonal ingredients. Actually, I’m a fan of that year round. Really using things that are at their best in the moment is when you are going to have the most quality forward finished product. One of my favorite things about Summer though is my garden. A wonderful problem to have is that we have a ton of beautiful, large trees in our neighborhood. While they create a ton of natural shade, it can make it tough to get sun for growing purposes. Therefore, the bounty we get of tomatoes, peppers and fresh herbs are usually put to good use. Chives and Basil have become a staple in my garden and one of the recipes that I love making is my Herb Vinaigrette. This time, I decided to give a good dose of healthy fat by adding in everyone’s favorite ingredient, Avocado.
All you need is a food processor or a blender to make this simple recipe. An immersion blender works great too! Get them all in there and blend, drizzling your oil in slowly to create an emulsion. Once everything is incorporated, this can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. While it stands on it’s own wonderfully as a dressing, it is also a lovely accompaniment sauce to a fish or chicken dish.
Avocado Herb Vinaigrette
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Half of a ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh dill, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp honey
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup avocado oil
Combine all ingredients except avocado oil into food processor or blender. Blend, slowly drizzling oil in to create an emulsion. Blend until dressing is creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste preference. Store in an air tight container in refrigerator for up to a week.