As we get into peak summer salad territory, I thought I’d share my favorite salad dressing, this Champagne Vinaigrette from Epicurious.

This dressing strikes the right balance between acids and oils, and the mustard adds a savory note but isn’t overwhelming. The flavor is pretty punchy, so I find it works best on darker salad greens like baby spinach, arugula, and salad mixes that include red lettuce. I don’t like to use it on salads that include feta cheese or olives, because the flavors compete too much. But that means it does a great job making a boring side salad a bit less boring.

There’s almost always a bottle of this in my fridge, in a glass flip top bottle like this one. No matter what I do the olive oil solidifies, so I try to remember to take the bottle out ahead of time so it can come up to room temperature and become more usable. But it also holds up just fine if you need to throw it in the microwave briefly (30 seconds max, and only if it’s basically a full bottle. Make sure you remove the flip top since it has metal).

In terms of making this I find it comes together very quickly. I use whatever white wine vinegar I can find, and a high quality olive oil. I try to mince the garlic pretty fine, and I skip the hot sauce. I’d recommend against a blender or food processor for this, as it can introduce a bitter note in the olive oil. Here’s the science if you’re interested.

For olive oil, this will turn out just fine with your regular cooking oil, assuming it’s reasonably fresh. But if you take the time to seek out something a little higher quality I don’t think you’ll regret it. In addition to salad dressings, you can use it to finish a pasta dish and drizzle over summer tomatoes. Or of course, just to dip a chunk of bread in. Really any application where you’re not heating the oil is a great time for a specialty olive oil.

I’m partial to California Olive Ranch Arbequina olive oil, which I can’t seem to get as easily anymore. Lately I’ve been using the Global Blend Robust instead. You can probably find something at your supermarket, but if you’re near an Italian market or a specialty store you’ll almost certainly have more than one option. (I still think about a fantastic olive oil I got at a market in Baltimore’s Little Italy that was green and really tasted like olives. )