The Entertaining House

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Uncorked & Repurposed:: A new use for an old wine bottle

Uncorked & Repurposed. An empty bottle of rose becomes a perfect way to store and serve home made salad dressings. Image via The Entertaining House. 

There was a time when I would turn my nose up at a screw top wine bottle. After one too many evenings on the beach with forgotten, misplaced or lost corkscrews I changed my stance on the matter and started to appreciate the ease of the good ol' twist off top. In fact, the other evening as I placed my bottles rosé up by the cashier I didn't exactly contain my excitement to see that the bottles I had chosen were cork-less. And I laughed at myself thinking that my laziness has sunk to an all-time low... I mean how hard is it really to uncork a bottle? 

It is not unusual for me to pour myself a glass of wine as I start the dinner preparations. As I emptied what was left over of my twist top wine bottle into my glass I noticed the pretty shape of the bottle as I set it on the counter to toss into the recycling bin at a later time. It wasn't until I started rummaging through the pantry that I decided this beautiful bottle should be put to use. It wasn't just a pretty bottle, but it would be a practical one too. (Rosé bottles I think are particularly pretty.) 

I'm not really a fan of store-bought salad dressings. Overall I find them much too salty and strong in flavor. I do keep a couple on hand for emergency purposes but I much prefer my own home-made dressings. The problem is we go through them much too quickly. And many jars that I do reuse for my dressings end up not sealing properly and leaking, or they're simply too small for our needs. Everyone should have a good homemade dressing on hand at all times. 

I love a good French vinaigrette but I find that a good olive oil and vinegar dressing can be more versatile. To my dressings I add a bit of salt, pepper, garlic and Italian Seasonings or Herbes de Provence that I can't keep refilled. I use this dressing on a wide variety of salads, from Greek to Chef's to Niçoise.  Because the ingredients are those which are already in my pantry I don't have to worry about refrigerating the dressing or its shelf life as it is often used long before the expiry would be anyhow. 
 

Classic Herb Vinaigrette

2 cups of Light Olive Oil, or 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil plus 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil
3/4 Red wine or Apple Cider vinegar
2 TBS water
1 tsp sea salt
1 TBS of Italian Seasoning or Herbes de Provence
3-4 cloves of garlic, whole or crushed or 1 tsp garlic powder

Pour all ingredients into the bottle using a funnel when necessary.
Replace top, shake well. Serve. Enjoy!