Well, okay, potato salad and others are good, too, but I really do like a green salad with a tasty dressing.
I always make my own dressings, but usually those are vinegar-and-oil based. But lately I've been trying different creamy dressings from cookbooks.
So when I got Fresh from the Farm and I saw there was a herbed buttermilk salad dressing recipe, I knew I had to try it. And, bonus, I bought herbs at the farmers market.
I found a few recipes in the book where this dressing was used, but really, it's good on pretty much any green salad or any vegetables you can think of.
The first night I made it, I drizzled it over some fresh sliced beefsteak tomatoes, and on the next night some zucchini showed up.
And then, green salad.
Like any other dressing of this type, when it was first made, the flavors were more distinct, but after it rested, the flavors tended to mingle and mellow.
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can change the flavor profile simply by changing the herbs used.
Instead of whisking this in a bowl, I put it in my little salad shaker that holds a cup - and it fit perfectly.
Herbed Buttermilk Dressing
Adapted from Fresh from the Farm by Susie Middleton
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 scant teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tender herbs (dill, tarragon, mint, cilantro, etc.)
Combine all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and shake to combine.
If you're whisking, you probably want to whisk everything except the herbs, first, since you don't want to bruise the tender herbs. Then add the herbs at the end.
Refrigerate until needed.