From the menu… Cherokee Town and Country Club, 155 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-365-1200, cherokeetcc.com
I was recently at the Cherokee Town and Country Club for a banquet and had a salad with this creamy, sweet dressing. I was wondering if you could get the recipe for me. — Hannah Gasaway, McDonough
Jonn Nishiyama, formerly executive chef at the Cherokee Town and Country Club, created the recipe for the dressing this reader requested. It’s his Honey Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette and he was happy to share it. Gasaway enjoyed the vinaigrette on a salad of artisan greens with Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill cheese, oven-roasted tomatoes and crisp herb crostini. Nishiyama also serves it on the club’s spinach salad with fresh berries and candied pecans. And if you need one more use, he says it would be delicious drizzled over grilled asparagus.
When they prepare the vinaigrette at the club, they make it 14 quarts at a time. We’ve cut it down to an eighth of that, but it still makes a substantial quantity. We thought it would make a delicious dressing for a potato salad as well.
Nishiyama has two tips: he prefers to use Colavita olive oil in the vinaigrette and says it’s important to prepare the Epicurean Garlic ahead of time. The garlic is a recipe he learned in Hawaii at his first hotel job. “The garde manger chef made this Epicurean Garlic to flavor his dressings. I’ve made it at my jobs ever since.” And now, Nishiyama has taken it to his new job in Palm Beach.
As for what to do with the extra Epicurean Garlic, he suggests trying it as a base for a marinade for pork or chicken.
Using pasteurized eggs is a good idea for recipes that use eggs but don’t cook them. This is especially important for pregnant women, young children and those with weakened immune systems. You can find pasteurized eggs in many grocery stores these days. You may also find salt and pepper mix at a spice shop, or can just make up your own, mixing up salt and pepper and using just a little more salt than pepper.
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