Vinaigrette

Do you like a slightly-sweet vinaigrette with your salads? I do, and often I have used a bit of honey as one of the ingredients in my oil and vinegar salad dressings.  Now I have a new favorite – a grape-reduction vinaigrette that has become one of the staples in my pantry.

I never knew what to do with the grapes that remained after an event.  They are so beautiful when they are fresh and cool, displayed artfully on a platter…but if  they aren’t all eaten, they look soft and unappealing the next day. I used to throw them away, until Giancarlo Gottardo, our good friend, showed me how to use them to make a fantastic homemade vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of sugarGiancarlo's Vinaigrette
  • 1 cup of white, apple cider vinegar, or white
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of white, red, or green grapes and their stems (you can use a mix of these varieties as well)

How to Prepare this Recipe

  1. Put the grapes, sugar, vinegar, water, and salt into a heavy saucepan with a good lid.
  2. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then put a lid on the pot and turn down the heat. Cook for an hour on a simmer with the lid on.
  3. Allow the pot to cool, covered, then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a bottle.
  4. Store at a cool temperature inside a cabinet.