Recipe Revisit: Buttermilk Herb Dressing

Most of us have one of those special foods that is very close to our hearts. One of those ingredients that makes everything a little bit better for us. Many of us even say we would eat even the most inedible things if they were drenched in our favorite deliciousness vehicle.

Actually, I probably have several of those special loves. It’s best I say less about that rather than more, and keep this post focused solely on creamy, ranch-style buttermilk salad dressing. I just love it!

I try to have homemade foods when I can, even though my time is a bit crunched these days. I will certainly buy bottled dressings rather than do without, but if I’m feeling even slightly un-lazy, I will whisk together my own salad dressing. I was being mostly un-lazy a while back when I threw together a quick ranch dressing, just going from what sounded good, rather than looking up the recipe in this post (which I hadn’t referenced in a long time.)

After taking a peek back at that old recipe, I decided my revisit was better. I kept it simple so it can be quick and easy, using garlic and onion powders for flavoring. I also love fresh dill in this dressing, although other fresh or even dried herbs would be good, too. This dressing could also be the foundation upon which to add lots of other flavors. You could use cilantro and add a splash of lime juice, stir in salsa, or add smoked paprika, cumin or chili powder to make a Southwestern flavored dressing. Throw everything in a blender with avocado. Use tarragon for your herb and add some Dijon mustard.

In its simplest form, which I offer below, this is a delicious salad dressing and dipping sauce. I’ve been eating that dressing on green salads as well as on a chopped vegetable salad with chickpeas that I hope to tell you about soon. I can’t wait to try some of those other flavor ideas to expand the use of this recipe as my go-to, homemade, I’d-eat-a-stick-if-it-was-dipped-in-this-stuff Ranch-style dressing.  

Buttermilk Herb Salad Dressing

1 cup buttermilk

¼ mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon minced fresh or dried dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Whisk together to combine well. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Keep refrigerated for a week or so.

Makes about 1 ¼ cup.

One year ago: White Bean Salad with Green Olives and Tarragon

Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad

Ok, one of my motives for trying and posting this recipe is to prove that I’m making something besides recipes with apples! Mostly, though, it’s a celebration of root vegetables and squash as is appropriate this time of year. And my favorite thing to do with these autumn vegetables is roast them. They get tender and caramelized and sweet and oh, so delicious.

Another favorite thing I like to do when root vegetables and winter squash are around is to peruse Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman. That’s where I found this new application for my favorite vegetables. It’s basic roasted vegetables tossed with a robust vinaigrette with molasses and mustard and served while still warm over cool salad greens.

I’ve been happily roasting vegetables for a long time, but I was pretty excited about drenching them in this flavorful dressing. Putting that whole thing on salad greens turns it into a light one-dish meal. I used a mixture of green leaf lettuce and Swiss chard, but you could use winter greens like chicories or tender cabbages like Napa or Savoy.

When it comes to the roasted vegetables, you can use whatever you have or can get. I used a parsnip, a carrot, a rutabaga and half of a red kuri squash. You can use whatever winter squash you like, and add other vegetables like celeriac, turnips, sunchokes, or even beets if you can stand them (I can’t! but if you do buy them with their greens still attached, you could add those greens to your salad.) The smaller you cut the vegetables, of course, the less time they take to cook.

This is quite a versatile recipe, or really set of recipes. Just make roasted vegetables, and you could be happy. Toss those vegetables with this dressing and serve as a side dish. Use the dressing alone on a green salad or grain salad. You could also add cheeses, nuts and seeds or - and you know you want it - bacon to this salad. Whatever! It’s all good!

Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad with Molasses Mustard Vinaigrette

Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

Use whatever fall and winter vegetables you like here. I like winter squash, rutabaga, carrots and parsnips. Also, sturdier salad greens ranging from leaf lettuces to endive and radicchio to tender cabbages will all work well.

for the dressing:

¼ cup molasses

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

a few grinds of black pepper

for the salad:

About 6 cups peeled autumn vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, winter squash, etc., cut into about 1-inch pieces

1 small onion coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

About 6 cups salad greens or sliced tender cabbage

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.

2. In a shallow roasting pan (or on a large sheet pan) spread out all of the vegetables and the onion into a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss well to coat.

3. Roast the vegetables at 450 F for about 45 minutes or just until tender. Remove from the oven and transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl.

4. Whisk the dressing if the ingredients have separated. Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Pour about ¼ cup of the dressing on the greens and toss to coat well. Pour ¼ cup dressing on the cooked vegetables and toss to coat.

5. Divide the dressed greens among 4 plates. Divide the vegetables over the greens. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

Makes 4 main-dish salads.

Other recipes like this one: Roasted Vegetables, Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Maple Walnut Vinaigrette, Arugula Salad with Squash and Lentils

One year ago: Poppy Seed and Plum Muffins with Almond

Nasturtium Vinaigrette

My nasturtiums were some of the very few plants that did well for me this year in my garden. Perhaps the fact that I planted three packages of seeds contributed to that success. I like the slightly peppery, slightly perfume-y flavor of the flowers and will toss them in green salads or even in place of the squash blossoms in this soup. It was kind of exciting to find a recipe that actually called for them as a flavor element and I capitalized on my opportunity to try this simple salad dressing with nasturtium petals in it.

 

This mostly tastes like a basic vinaigrette with a ghostly hint of complexity from the flavorful petals. It would probably go best on your mildest green salad ingredients. (The late-season lettuce I ate it with was a little bitter and may have masked some of the more delicate floral flavors.) Something really mild, like sprouts, might be a tasty companion, too. 

 

I decreased the proportion of olive oil in this recipe just because I prefer my salad dressings a little more acidic and less oily. For a more traditional vinaigrette, you could increase the oil to up to ½ cup. You could also use a different vinegar, but I would recommend something relatively mild to keep the flavors of the flowers coming through.

It’s mostly just fun and pretty and unique to put edible flowers in salads and you could use others in this dressing or in the salads you dress. Just be absolutely certain that the flowers you’re planning to eat are indeed edible. It’s also a good idea to use flowers that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. And be sure to clean them thoroughly, too. Lots of little bugs love flowers as much as we do and you may need to swish out your flowers in a water bath to keep those critters out of your lunch or supper.

 

 

Nasturtium Vinaigrette

Adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine

 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
¼ cup finely sliced nasturtium petals

1. Combine all the ingredients except the nasturtium petals in a small bowl. Whisk until very smooth. Stir in the nasturtium petals.

Makes about 1/3 cup salad dressing.

 

Other recipes like this one: Basic Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard Salad Dressing, Maple Walnut Vinaigrette, Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

One year ago: Grilled Zucchini and Feta Dip

Versatile Sweet Asian Dressing

Something I don’t do as often as I should is keep a bowl, jar, or bottle of homemade salad dressing in the refrigerator for quick salads loaded with whatever is ripe in the garden or at the farmer’s market. This sweet dressing with Asian flavors is a good one to have on hand and lasts a long time in the refrigerator. It’s quick to put together, too, although, since it requires a step at the stove, it does need to be made in advance if you want a cold salad.

This is as simple as combining vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and a few other flavors and boiling them to dissolve the sugar. I spiced my version up just a bit with some chile garlic sauce, but if you like things milder, you could leave it out. The vinegar balances the sweet ingredients so the dressing isn’t cloying or sugary, but the sugar does make for a slightly more syrupy dressing than a simple vinaigrette.

This dressing was originally for a Napa cabbage salad with broken-up Ramen noodles, but I find that it goes well in other places too. While I did recently pour it over a cabbage salad with yellow carrots and onions, I also like it on a green salad with whatever is ripe and ready. I’ve even poured it over a stir fry at the last minute of cooking, and it was good there as well.

There is enough dressing in this recipe to make a couple of 4-serving cabbage salads, or to pour on green salads for the better part of a week. It also will keep well for that week in the refrigerator, since it doesn’t contain any perishable ingredients and gets a good boiling besides. Right now, I’m really happy to have something to make once and enjoy for a few days during which I can avoid any hot and sweaty efforts. Hope you’re staying cooler than I am!

Sweet Asian Salad Dressing

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

1/3 cup rice vinegar

¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
¼ teaspoon chile garlic sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Boil 1 minute, adjusting the heat to keep the mixture from boiling over. Cool then chill. Stir well before dressing salads or vegetables.

Makes about ¾ cup. Keep refrigerated for a week or more.

Other recipes like this one: Maple Walnut Vinaigrette, Chinese Style Barbecue Sauce and Marinade

One year ago: Lemon, Lime and Basil Cookies

Feta Vinaigrette

I learned to cook by reading recipes and following them to the letter, treating them kind of like all the chemistry lab procedures I’d tackled over time (although usually with better results). It was with this less than flexible mindset that I followed a recipe for a Greek Sandwich with Feta Vinaigrette from the May 2001 issue of Cooking Light magazine. It was a vegetarian sandwich with lots of arugula (I think I actually deviated from the printed word by necessity and used something else), tomatoes, olives and cucumbers on sourdough bread. I was really happy about it, or so I remember. It was a long time ago.

I very neatly and accurately recorded the exact recipe, printed it off and placed it in a 3-ring binder. I did not, however, make that sandwich ever again. I’m sure it wasn’t because the recipe was difficult. It was a sandwich for crying out loud.

I didn’t forget it, though, and when I looked at the recipe some time ago, I said to myself, who is now more enlightened when it comes to recipe improvisation, “Hey, dummy, you don’t have to make this as a sandwich. It’s really a salad. On bread, sure, but it’s mostly a salad.” And the most memorable part of that salad was the dressing: a lemon vinaigrette with the feta cheese crumbled right in.

I get pretty excited about salad dressings this time of year, simply because the early greens have to tide me over until the other vegetables have time to grow (although the rhubarb, asparagus and morel mushrooms are coming!). Unlike the original sandwich, this vinaigrette is definitely one I’m going to return to often. It’s delicious enough for me to make sure there are always lemons in the kitchen and feta cheese in the refrigerator. I also added a bit of shallot, which I find to be such an enhancement to even simple vinaigrettes, that it, too, has earned a spot on my regular shopping list.

This tart and cheesy dressing was really nice on my spinach salad and probably would go well with your other spring and summer salad greens. I minimally accompanied my (locally grown!) spinach with a few kalamata olives and some thinly sliced Vidalia onion (because that’s what I happened to have on hand). Some nice, ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers would be great to add if they’re in season where you are. Sigh. I’ll still have to wait. Try not to gloat too much.


Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

1 small to medium garlic clove
a heavy pinch of coarse salt
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1. Mince the garlic clove on a cutting board and sprinkle the salt over it. Make a garlic-salt paste as described in this post. Combine the garlic-salt paste with the shallot and lemon juice in a small bowl.

2. Add the sugar, oregano and pepper and whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil until well mixed. Stir in the feta cheese.

Makes enough to dress about 4 side salads. Refrigerate any leftovers for a few days.

Other recipes like this one: Basic Vinaigrette, Chickpea and Olive Salad with Greek Flavors, Deconstructed Spanakopita Salad

One year ago: Seitan Stir Fry with Asparagus, Green Beans and Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Two years ago: Simple Shredded Carrot Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

Dressing for Spring

As the air gets warmer, the sun comes out and the grass starts growing, I usually start to think about the seasonal shift in my wardrobe: switching sweaters for blouses, unearthing skirts and open-toed shoes, deciding whether I’m optimistic enough to bring out a pair of shorts or two. This only gets a little of my attention, however, as I am much more concerned with what I’m going to put on my spring salad greens.

That’s right, the locally-grown salad greens are in! My home-town food co-op carries a tender, delicate mix of sweet, slightly bitter, and tantalizingly tart baby greens that have been grown nearby (presumably in hot houses or cold frames). This beautiful bounty beats the pants off of anything being trucked in from the Emerald City, or wherever green things come from in the winter. They deserve to be specially treated. Gloppy, phony, over-processed bottled dressings need not apply.

About the time the greens came to my attention, a spicy coconut and lime salad dressing recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine (April 2011) also grabbed my notice. As a great lover of coconut, I was excited to try it. I didn’t, however, want it to overwhelm my delicate salad greens, so I toned down the spice a bit by adding less chile. I used light coconut milk, because that’s what I keep in the cupboard, and made a few other minor tweaks.

The result was fabulous! The flavor of the dressing is very lime-forward, but its taming by the creamy, lightly sweet coconut milk keeps it from being lip-puckering. There’s just a bit of heat from the chile pepper (you could use more or retain some seeds if you want it spicier), and the other ingredients, which can be quite assertive (mint and scallion) or cloying (coconut milk) don’t seem to be trying to compete. (In fact, the coconut taste is very subtle. My husband might actually eat this!) Overall, the result is a peaceful, mellow melding of scents and flavors and not a war of harsh and bitter individuals.

The dressing went beautifully with the salad I prepared, which included thin-sliced celery, scallions, a few mint leaves and roasted, salted sunflower seeds in addition to the baby greens. It’s definitely a creamy dressing, but it isn’t heavy like buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise-based dressings that might have crushed the delicate little lettuces. (Those heavier dressings will have their day when the bigger, more mature lettuces come along in a couple months.) This was definitely a very attractive ensemble (I particularly recommend accessorizing with sunflower seeds) and I am perfectly confident that at least my salads will be well-dressed for spring.

Coconut Lime Dressing
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine

Grate the lime zest (preferably with a microplane grater) before squeezing the lime. It’s extremely difficult if you do it afterwards.

½ cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
½ teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced chile pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together until well-combined. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes about ¾ cup.


Another recipe like this one: Buttermilk Herb Salad Dressing

One year ago: Pasta with Cauliflower and Cashew Sauce

Salad Daze

"...My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood..."

-Cleopatra, from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra

I’ve been eating really a lot of salad lately, and perhaps my judgment is greener than it once was. I don’t mean that quite the way Shakespeare implied, but in the sense of environmentally “green.” All my salad greens are organic and come from the CSA* to which we subscribe. Sometimes, Kermit the Frog was right, it’s not easy being green, but with this CSA subscription, it sure is bountiful…and tasty!

I rarely buy salad dressing anymore (although if I was going to see Cate, I’d certainly buy her favorite “dip”…I like it, too!) Part of the reason is that I’d rather make things for myself when I can (thus, a food blog). I also, however, prefer variety, and to have a bottle of dressing for every mood would require a second refrigerator.

Besides, salad dressing is easy. You can make just enough to dress the salad you’re about to serve, or enough for a few days that you can keep on stand-by in the refrigerator. A whisk and a bowl are my favorite tools for blending ingredients, but you can use a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake the dressing to your heart’s content. For larger batches of dressing, you can even use a blender…if you don’t mind cleaning it when you’re done.

Below are four recipes for salad dressings that I’ve been making and eating during my salad daze. Three of them are designed for two servings and can be easily multiplied. The Buttermilk-Herb Dressing recipe serves four to five. I have included two vinaigrettes, a honey-mustard dressing, and my answer to ranch dressing, which I love. I must admit that I rarely measure ingredients for salad dressings, so the recipes are more like guidelines.

The Basic Vinaigrette can be varied to your personal taste. It is basically an acidic liquid and olive oil in equal portions with a few other flavorings. You can use just about any vinegar or citrus juice, and add herbs or spices to match the flavors of your meal or other salad ingredients. This is good on most green salads.

The Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette is the same dressing I used in the Simple Shredded Carrot Salad in the Pomegranate Preference post. I just substituted walnut oil for the olive oil and added a touch of orange flower water for even more exotic flair. You certainly can leave out the orange flower water if you don’t happen to have any on hand (why wouldn’t you…I really am joking). I used this dressing on salad greens with fresh apricots, cherries, walnuts and shaved parmesan. I also think it would be good with other fruits like fresh berries later this summer, or apples and cranberries in the fall or oranges and pomegranate seeds in the winter.

The honey mustard dressing, like the basic vinaigrette, is good on just about any salad. You could probably change up the flavors by using different styles or flavors of mustard. Hmmm…I’ve got some cranberry mustard that might make things interesting.

The Buttermilk-Herb dressing is much thinner than commercial ranch dressings. I suppose you could add mayonnaise to it to thicken it up or even turn it into a dipping sauce (ie, for grilled potatoes). I used Organic Valley brand buttermilk, which I found to be less harsh in flavor than some other brands I’ve used.



If you start with these salad dressings and change the flavors to your taste, you can have seemingly endless salad varieties. I for one am hoping that my salad days go on for some more weeks and that my salad daze continues to be pleasant.

Basic Vinaigrette
You can use just about any vinegar here and add herbs and spices to your taste.

2 tablespoons wine or cider vinegar or citrus juice, or a combination
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
1 large pinch each sugar and kosher salt
a few grinds of pepper from a peppermill
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the vinegar or citrus juice, onion or shallot, sugar, salt and pepper. Let stand for a few minutes or up to 15 minutes if you have time.

2. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until emulsified and very well combined (or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid).

Serves 2


Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
This is nice on green salads with fruit.

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper from a peppermill
1/8 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)
2 tablespoons walnut oil

1. Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon juice, orange flower water salt and pepper. Gradually add walnut oil, whisking until well combined.

Serves 2


Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
pinch of salt
a few grinds of black pepper from a peppermill
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine vinegar, onion or shallot, salt and pepper. Let stand for a few minutes or up to 15 minutes if time allows.

2. Add honey and mustard. Whisk to combine. Add olive oil and whisk until well combined.

Serves 2


Buttermilk Herb Salad Dressing

1 small garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Finely chop the garlic. On the cutting board, add the salt to the garlic. Continue to chop, then make a paste by pressing and scraping the salt and garlic together with the flat side of the knife. Place the garlic paste in a small bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients the bowl and whisk well to combine.

Serves 4 to 5

*Community Supporte Agriculture