National Vinegar Day! - Make a vinegar and a marinade

June 16 is National Vinegar Day and I know why it is in the summer.  This is the perfect time of year to make pickles, marinades and salad dressing which all use generous amounts of Vinegar.

I am using this day as a great excuse to write about making herbal vinegars and what to do with them. You can and should only make an herbal vinegar with fresh herbs.  It allows you to capture the flavor of the fresh herbs and save it for use in winter when fresh herbs are scarce.

For step-by-step directions on making herbal vinegar check out my How To.

Here are some perfect summertime recipes to try out with your newly made vinegar.

Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup herbal vinegar (chive, chive blossom, lemon or thyme will all work well)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbls. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
Arrange alternate layers of cucumber, zucchini and onions in a deep bowl.  Mix vinegar and sugar until dissolved.  Add water, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Drain any water from the cucumbers before adding dressing.  Pour dressing over cucumbers, onion and zucchini and allow to marinade for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Herbal Vinegar Salad Dressing

1/4 cup herbal vinegar (lemon, thyme or chives will do)

3/4 cup oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 tsp fresh lemon thyme

1 tsp fresh Parsley, chopped

Dash of garlic powder

Directions:

Mix together in a glass jar or cruet, shake well.  Refrigerate one hour before serving.  Keep remainder in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Lemon Herbal Marinade

1/4 cup lemon herb vinegar (any combination of lemon herbs is good)

1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

4 strips of lemon zest

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine the vinegar, pepper and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.