I’m not sure what to make of this heat lately. And my garden is divided on the subject as well. Despite the constant watering, I’ve lost a couple of plants, but the tomatoes and herbs are loving it! Oddly, even my dill and some lettuce is coming back, and they hate intense heat.
So of course, my mind goes to something I can make with all these things. Feeling in a Garden-y Green Goddess-y kind of mood, I did a beautiful green dressing. Instead of more dairy or oil, I’ve substituted in the avocado. More green :)
INGREDIENTS
1 clove Garlic
1 whole Scallion – roughly chopped
1 ripe Avocado
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 Cup Fresh Herbs – chopped and packed*
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon capers with brine
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper – or more to taste
Salt & pepper – to taste
*This is a rough estimate on the amount of herbs - you can’t hurt it with a bit too much or too little. I grabbed handfuls of basil, lemon basil, parsley, dill and a bit of rosemary. Any herbs together would be wonderful. Just go easy on the ratios of say, rosemary or sage since they can make it bitter if you add too much.
METHOD
I’m not sure if there are easier instructions than this: Put everything in a high powered blender and blend on high until smooth. However, save the salt for last and taste before you put it in - the capers and brine add salt, so you’ll want to balance it after they’re added. If you like it thinner, add some cold water and blend again.
Adjust to taste with more salt, pepper, lemon, honey or cayenne if desired.
For thicker dressings like this, I like to use a squeeze bottle so you can easily distribute the dressing across the veggies. Glopping a pile in the center of the salad just doesn’t do it for me and you tend to use too much.
That’s also a good reason why you need a powerful blender or food processor - any unblended chunks will clog up the bottle nozzle.
This dressing made the simplest salad - with just a few veggies from my garden - taste fantastic.
For a little texture, I did a quick crouton - I cut a slice of homemade bread into tiny cubes and grilled them in a pan with a little butter, salt and fines herbes.
Transfer any to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
My friend Cindy’s favorite wine would be great with this salad: Starborough Sauvignon Blanc.