The Vinegar Solution

Small but mighty, that’s the recipe: One part vinegar, three or four parts oil, a little salt and pepper, perhaps a dash of mustard, and you and your salad are in business. Add some garlic, a minced shallot or two, a handful of fragrant herbs, and just about any basic food--vegetable, starch or meat--will be deliciously dressed.

Vinaigrette, a.k.a. Italian dressing, was called French dressing in my youth, before the craze for all things Italian switched the label. Substitute lemon for vinegar and call it Middle Eastern dressing; this simple sauce is popular everywhere olive oil is widely used. And no wonder.

A garlicky vinaigrette with a dash of walnut oil transforms leftover steamed broccoli into a first-class salad. Vinaigrette seasoned with chopped capers, horseradish and dill makes cold baked potatoes into the perfect complement for hot barbecued sausages. Add lots of chopped shallots, make it thick and green with parsley, and vinaigrette turns bland boiled beef or chicken from soup stock into a party dish.

There’s no shortage of delicious oils and vinegars from which to choose. Fine olive oils alone span a huge range, from the almost nutty, thin, golden liquid pressed from ripe fruit to thick, intense dark oils pungent with olive greenness. There are walnut, hazelnut, sesame and almond oils, each deliciously fragrant of its origin, all best thinned with blander oils, such as canola, so they don’t overwhelm the food. Exotica abound: avocado oil, rice bran oil . . . and the vinegars! Spare me.

Spare me a great deal more than a dime, in many cases. Boutique oils and vinegars can be astronomically expensive. Sometimes the cost is justifiable, as in the case of genuine balsamic vinegar that has been aged for decades. Sometimes, however, it pays to be skeptical. Estate-bottled vintage olive oil is seldom five times tastier than a good extra-virgin product that costs one-fifth as much.

The ever-ready larder should be stocked with several oils: a bland vegetable oil for frying and blending, gold and green olive oils, and hazelnut or walnut oil for pasta, special salads and pastry. Toasted sesame oil is a must for those who enjoy Asian flavors. In the vinegar department: red and white wine vinegars, a mid-priced balsamic for everyday use and rice wine vinegar for occasions when a milder sourness is need.

Plain vinegar will keep well indefinitely; unrefined oils turn rancid quickly, especially in summer heat. Buy oils in quantities small enough so that they will be used up promptly, and keep them cool and dark. Refrigerated oils will turn cloudy and water may condense into them from the bottle, but the refrigerator is still a good storage place if your kitchen is hot and bright.

Dinner on a platter: handsome, healthful and easily varied to suit individual tastes and circumstances. Try flavoring the dressing differently--with a handful of minced parsley and basil, for instance--or use thin slices of leftover roast pork instead of chunks of salmon. Let your imagination (and your refrigerator) be your guide.

SUMMER SALMON SALAD WITH BLACK BEANS AND RICE IN CUMIN VINAIGRETTE

1 (1 1/4-to 1 1/2-pound) fillet of salmon

3/4 cup dried black beans

1 dried hot red chile pod, about 3 inches long

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup flavorful white rice, such as basmati

Cumin Vinaigrette

2 cups diced (1/4-inch) red onion

1 1/2 cups diced (1/2-inch) sweet red pepper

1 1/2 cups diced (1/2-inch) English cucumber

1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeds removed, coarsely minced

8 to 10 large leaves tender lettuce, such as salad bowl

1/2 cup minced cilantro, about

Start as early as day before, at least 4 hours before serving. Grill or steam salmon. Or dust lightly with flour, then fry in olive oil.

Combine beans with dried chile pod and garlic in saucepan. Cover with 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 2 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender and most of liquid has been absorbed.

While beans are cooking, prepare rice according to favorite method. Transfer hot rice to heat-proof bowl and combine with 1/4 cup Cumin Vinaigrette. Cool.

Drain beans thoroughly, remove chile pod and garlic. Combine in separate heat-proof bowl with 3 tablespoons Cumin Vinaigrette and allow to cool.

Combine remaining Cumin Vinaigrette with red onion, pepper, cucumber and jalapeno. Allow to marinate at least 1/2 hour.

Line large platter with lettuce leaves. Cover center third of surface with half of marinated vegetable mixture. Sprinkle vegetables with half of cilantro.

Divide salmon into serving pieces, removing any skin and bone. Arrange on vegetable bed, then spoon remaining vegetables over and around fish.

Make decorative borders of beans and rice around edges of platter, sprinkle remaining cilantro over borders and serve at once. If chilled, allow to return almost to room temperature before serving. Makes 4 generous servings.

Cumin Vinaigrette

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1/4 cup corn oil

1/4 cup olive oil

Scant 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Heat small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, about 45 seconds, or just until lightly toasted. Do not allow to scorch.

Transfer cumin to deep mixing bowl and cool. Crush roughly with wooden spoon so seeds are bruised. Beat in corn oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Set aside 1 hour or so.

Note: For 1 1/2 cups long, thin English cucumber, substitute 1 1/2 cups standard cucumber, peeled and seeds removed.