Fresh ingredients make vinaigrette

Q: I've recently realized homemade salad dressing tastes 200 percent better than anything in a bottle. I've been trying to replicate two favorites from local restaurants, a ginger vinaigrette and a lemon vinaigrette. Do you have any suggestions?

A: In summer, I like to make a batch of a different dressing every week. I make quick vinaigrettes all winter, but in summer, when salads get more exciting, I branch out to things like homemade Green Goddess. And if you've only had Thousand Island out of a bottle, you really need to make it once from scratch.

I know the lemon vinaigrette you're describing. When I've ordered it, I've heard them say "roasted lemon vinaigrette," which gives us a clue. Try roasting lemons. Quarter them, toss with a little oil and stick them in a hot oven for 20 minutes or so, until they get little brown spots. Cool and then squeeze them, and use the juice to replace the vinegar in a vinaigrette.

For ginger vinaigrette, grate and squeeze about 2 tablespoons of fresh gingerroot and use the juice to replace some of the vinegar in a vinaigrette. You also could replace about a tablespoon of the oil with toasted sesame oil.

A couple of other tricks to try when making a basic oil and vinegar mixture: Play around with different vinegars; my favorite is a good sherry vinegar. And Lynne Rossetto Kasper's new book "How to Eat Supper" has a wonderful tip: Add about teaspoon of Asian fish sauce to all dressings for a richer flavor.