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Homemade Herb Dressing
By Brenda Hyde
Salad Dressings made at home fresh are so much better than store
bought dressings. Once you find your favorites, you can keep the
ingredients on hand and use them for green salads, pasta or even
cold rice salads!
When adding herbs to dips, spreads
or dressings allow at least 15 minutes to one hour for the
flavors to develop.
Dill Dressing
1 1/2 tbl. Dijon-style mustard
3 tbl. White wine or herb vinegar
1/3 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped chives
3-4 sprigs fresh basil or chervil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Mix the mustard with the vinegar in a bowl.
Whisk in the olive oil, then stir in the herbs.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add
a little more vinegar or oil to taste if needed.
Use on chicken or seafood salads or even
as a dip for vegetables.
Herb Buttermilk Dressing
Ingredients:
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. creamy mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. each pepper and minced garlic
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 tablespoon each chopped thyme and parsley
In a small bowl whisk all ingredients until blended.
Serve on a mixed green salad with julienned
vegetables or it would be wonderful as a dressing for
a simple pasta salad.
Creamy Italian Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup lowfat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1 minced garlic clove
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth. Chill. A healthy dressing for
green salads or pasta.
Creamy Herb Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. crushed dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed dried rosemary.
Mix all well. Makes 1/2 cup dressing. This is great
for using with cubed chicken breast or turkey with
green onions, green pepper and grapes over lettuce.
Lemon Herb Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup minced Italian parsley
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon juice
3 tablespoons each fresh mint and scallions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Combine all ingredients. Makes 1 cup.
This is wonderful on greens with salad shrimp,
or tuna.
Thyme Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 of small red onion, minced
Whisk all together. Use on greens or a
vegetable and pasta salad.
2 cloves garlic, cut in half, skewered on a toothpick
3/4 cup oil
Combine all ingredients, except oil in a jar. Let marinate
in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove garlic. Add oil and
shake vigorously. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Mixed Herb Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. powdered thyme
1/8 tsp. powdered marjoram
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves, or
4 fresh leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
Shake well. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve over crisp
salad greens. Makes 2/3 cup.
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing