Sunday, July 01, 2012

Garlic Salad Dressing

My garlic has cured enough to use now, and I have a lot of it. Supermarket garlic has been so horrible the past few years, I'd forgotten how good the stuff can be. Half a clove is enough for most of my uses, as it is really pungent.

We've been eating salads nightly as the weather is hot, and the greens are abundant. To keep the cold suppers interesting, I've been pickling fruit (cherries, grapes, peaches) and vegetables (cauliflower, onions, carrots). My relish dish hasn't seen this much use since the 70's. For some reason, everyone agreed that we needed a creamy garlic sort of dressing tonight (not something I ordinarily make). The dressing was the result of what I had in the fridge, but feel free to substitute widely-this is more a template than a recipe, ya know?

Makes about 1 pt.

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup basil leaves blanched 30 seconds, drained, patted dry and finely chopped (this keeps it green)
1/2 large clove of garlic, finely minced nearly to a paste
Salt/Pepper to taste
Milk to thin if needed

Combine everything except the olive oil in a mixing bowl. With hand mixer on high, beat in the olive oil slowly until well-absorbed. Adjust salt/pepper, and thin with milk if needed.

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