If you like fresh produce you simply must check out the Broad Ripple Farmers' Market. It runs every Saturday through October 28th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, in the south parking lot of Broad Ripple High School. On my first visit I was particularly pleased by the variety of salad greens. It made me yearn for a good, fresh salad.

If you have never had a salad with anything other than iceberg head lettuce, you are missing out on something special. You will find more flavor and interesting textures, as well as higher nutrition, in other kinds of lettuce. That head of iceberg has very little of anything in it. Generally speaking, the more color in the lettuce leaf, the more nutrition in the salad; a mix of several different kinds of lettuce and other greens is a lot more interesting than a salad of just one kind. Since the final salad mix is up to you, let's make some homemade salad dressings.

The most basic salad dressing would be the humble vinaigrette: a mixture of oil, vinegar and seasonings. From there the list is endless. Start with good vinegar, like red wine, cider, distilled, rice wine, or malt vinegar. For the oil, I like a blend that is half canola, half olive oil - the olive oil doesn't overpower the dressing this way. The usual mix for this dressing is 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Next we need an emulsifier - something to make the oil and vinegar stay blended long enough for the salad to be eaten. Usually it is a small amount of mustard, either dry powdered or prepared - like Dijon or plain yellow. Garlic cloves and a good chunk of onion will work too, but only if you are using a blender. I have even had success using raspberries as an emulsifier, so don't limit your emulsifier to just mustard. To make your vinaigrettes into creamier dressings, just add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

For one cup of vinaigrette, use 1/3 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup oil and ½ to 1 teaspoon mustard. Flavor this dressing by adding herbs or spices in whatever combination you like. Fresh herbs are great, but dry will do. Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender and whirl just enough to mix well. Slowly pour in the oil while the blender is running. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Place all ingredients, except oil, in blender and whirl just enough to mix well. Slowly pour in the oil while blender is running. Refrigerate any leftover dressing. Makes about 1 ½ cups.

This recipe uses lime as the acid ingredient in place of the vinegar. Place all ingredients, except oil, in blender and whirl just enough to mix well. Slowly pour in the oil while blender is running. Stir in celery seed. Refrigerate any leftover dressing. Makes about two cups.

This is not a vinaigrette, but a mayo based dressing. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate any leftover dressing. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.