Bite Of Minnesota: Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

If the recent snowfall hasn't caused you to start thinking of the holidays, the calendar will.

One can't deny that Thanksgiving is a mere two weeks away, and for those of us who don't routinely make Thanksgiving dinner, we've definitely started planning. It's been years (15 years, actually) since I made Thanksgiving dinner and here I am, tasked with making dinner again.

I can't complain since I volunteered for it in an effort to take the burden off my mom's shoulders and in an effort to perfect my turkey-making skills, and I'm looking forward to this food challenge.

As with most families, there are certain food traditions that must make it to the table, such as my grandma's green beans with bacon, along with staples like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce (canned and homemade). Only a small opening exists for something new, and I plan to fill that gap with something green, like a salad. It's easy, takes barely any preparation and I can give the dressing to the kids to shake and shake and shake (with the cap tightly screwed on, of course).

I've used this dressing on roasted beets with goat cheese and arugula in the past but it also dresses up simple mixed greens quite well. I'm a big fan of citrus-flavored olive oils, like the blood orange olive oil used in this recipe, but lemon olive oil or walnut oil also offer a nice change from traditional olive oil. If you only have olive oil to use, add some lemon or orange zest for a pop of brightness in an otherwise heavy Thanksgiving meal. A great way to kick off the holidays in my opinion. Double the recipe if you're serving a large crowd.

Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

2 tbsp blood orange olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine. Drizzle over mixed greens and serve.