salad days: creamy summertime dill dressing

tips for tuesday
notes from maggie's farm




We're making our way into the hot, sweaty, dirty days of harvesting around here, and while it can be an arduous task, it makes for delicious lunches, straight from the gardens. Lettuce is still around for a week or so more, and we just managed to harvest our first few red tomatoes that weren't nabbed by squirrels and rabbits, taken to enjoying their midnight snack in the middle of our bounty.  We've got cucumbers, young garlic, sweet onions, herbs, a few more days of peas, cabbages, potatoes and all sorts of goodies just around the bend with which to fill our salad bowl.  


Big Day in the Gardens!
We, or I, (during the week when the other farmer plays hooky from farm duty and chills out at his other two jobs--slacker), will need nourishment, and maybe some relief, around midday, and off comes the messy gloves and shoes at the back door, as an armful of freshness is carried inside to be washed, and dressed simply, for wholesome sustenance.  Just enough fruit-of-the-earth goodness to keep one encouraged to go back out, afterwards, and continue the work.

But not any dressing will do.  No bottled stuff full of sugar and sodium and oddly-named ingredients will spoil what we've spent so many hours organically tending and pampering and coaxing food from the seed.

So this week's Tip for Tuesday, a simple summery all-purpose vegetable dressing, comes along just as the salad days are upon us, quick and easy, meant to complement, not overpower, the delicate ingredients.  We keep this on hand because store-bought won't do, and whisking, mincing, chopping and the like have no place in the middle of a busy day.  Our favorite way to keep the veggies on the best dressed list.....


Yields 1 Pint

Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
1 cup half and half
1T dill weed (just plucked from the stems) or 2t dried dill weed
1t onion salt
a couple of coarse grinds of the pepper mill

In a quart jar (giving room for the blending of ingredients), combine all of the ingredients above, and shake (furiously) until well blended. (For a silky smooth dressing, you may prefer to mix in a blender, though we're rather fond of the occasional lumpiness.) Refrigerate to allow flavors to 'bloom', an hour or so.  Taste, correct seasonings, and drizzle on mixed greens, alone, or along with other chosen salad additions.  

Note:  This yields a fairly thick dressing, great for cabbage and firm greens like romaine, chard, or kale, and even tossed with potatoes for a quick, fresh-tasting take on an old standard.  If using for a more delicate salad, such as the butter lettuce we've used here, or perhaps finely shredded cole slaw, I often dilute with a little water or rice wine vinegar to thin.


If you're a salad fan/fiend like myself, you might enjoy the following salad posts: 




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12 comments:

  1. Ha I have all of these ingredients-Going to make me some today for a salad at lunch. Thanks!

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  2. I love dill so I'm bookmarking this recipe. Last night I made a tomato/mozzarella/basil salad and I expect many more of these no-cook summer veggie salad dinners to come. This dressing will be a lovely addition!

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    Replies
    1. I'm all about those n -cook salads, too. In fact, my menu for today has two! lol Enjoy! (and thanks for dropping by!)

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  3. Ladybugs,
    Perhaps this is a proper theme song for the actual preparations: http://youtu.be/nrfdqHiFJ6w

    Thanks for stopping by and 'shaking it up' with me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks fabulous. I love making homemade salad dressings. I'm not a fan of the store bought variety. I think I'm having garden envy. Our Juliet tomatoes are starting bloom and produce fruit. The other plants look healthy, but no tomatoes:( The only thing in the garden that looks great is the okra. I think I'll plant a whole mess of it next year.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, don't be too envious! lol. I don't take pictures of the weeds. I'm looking forward for our okra to come in--I love roasting it whole and snacking on it all day. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Can't wait to try the dressing. I love dill!

    I have one for you... have you tried O vinegar? The recipes is fast and easy and mixed in a jar also.

    3Tbs Safflower oil
    2 Tbs O Sherry Vinegar
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp pepper

    I was given this vinegar in a wedding gift basket with this recipe. This Sherry vinegar is a mixture of stuff so not has strong as regular.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the recipe! I am familiar with those O vinegars and I'm looking forward to getting into Austin and picking a bottle up for a new dressing. Thanks for stopping by, too!

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  6. Oh this looks awesome--I'm drooling now! Would you mind coming by my Creative @ Home Wednesday link up party and share it, I know my readers would enjoy it bunches!

    http://susangodfrey.com/frilly-hair-scrunchy-pattern-creative-home-wednesday-link-up-party/

    Blessings!
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susan,
      Thanks for dropping by! I'd be happy to share this on you blog...be right there.

      Delete
  7. Thanks for participating in Creative @ Home Wednesday for 05/23/12! I hope you'll come back and join us today!

    http://susangodfrey.com/category/home-family/creative-home/

    Blessings!
    Susan Godfrey

    ReplyDelete

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