Olive Oil Nectarine Salad Dressing

I have become obsessed with salad dressing.  I have also become obsessed with making creamy things healthier for me.  Two cups of sour cream in how much soup?  No thank you...  Although, oddly enough, creamy dressing has never been my thing.  Give me Italian dressing with oodles of garlic any day!  That is, until I discovered the wonders of adding fruit to my dressing.  One nectarine, and the whole thing becomes lovely, creamy, and subtly sweet.  Oh, and still garlicky.  There is no salad dressing without garlic.

I have also become obsessed with picnics.  What is it about eating outside that makes everything taste better?  It's just like the way that a bitingly cold day makes soup or chicken and dumplings or some other chunky, heavy, comfort-foodie thing so darned good, isn't it?  Eat a nice summer salad or something grilled or some fresh fruit outside, and it automatically just tastes better!  So I didn't just put this salad dressing on some lettuce and call it a day, no, the Resident Taste Taster, a friend, and I took it on a picnic.  This is where we went:

If eating outside makes food taste amazing, then eating outside with a beautiful view makes food taste like heaven.  And this wasn't even a bad drive!  I highly encourage you to Google around, find a new park in your own backyard, make some salad dressing (and a salad, err, even I won't just drink the stuff), and take off!  It will feel like a vacation, even in the middle of the week.

Olive Oil Nectarine Salad Dressing

Adapted from How Sweet It is

One clove of garlic makes this garlicky.  Two cloves make this GARLICKY.  Add garlic according to your preference.  (I am sure you can guess what I did.)

1 large nectarine, cut into several large pieces

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons olive oil, or more if you want a thinner dressing

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt

Pepper  

Place all ingredients in blender, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Puree until mixture is smooth.  Flecks of nectarine skin will remain.  Check the thickness of your dressing and gradually add more olive oil, pureeing as you go, to reach the consistency you desire.  Serve over your favorite salad and enjoy!