Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

If you’ve been following my blog you might have noticed that bottled salad dressing is not my favorite.  I’ll take oil and vinegar over bottled dressing any day.   It’s such a simple affair to whip up one’s own dressing and the rewards are terrific. Well worth the effort.

This is one of those recipes I came up with when the avocados looked good and were priced right.  I found myself with a bowl full on the kitchen counter .  Upon closer inspection of my refrigerator I discovered buttermilk that needed to be used.  Voilla!  Salad dressing.  Often times these recipes turn out to be my most-liked as I routinely find myself with ingredients needing to be used instead of thrown out.  How many times have you come up with a fabulous recipe by throwing a few things together only to forget to write it down?  In the past, I admit I’m guilty, but nowadays I jot it down as I go or immediately following, since frequently they turn out to be blue ribbon.  To forget would be a shame.

We enjoyed the creaminess of this dressing.  As you can see in the photo it is thick.  Perfect for dipping some raw veggies into.  It does however taste delightful tossed with a big green salad.  Besides being creamy it supplies a bit of tanginess as well as a heady herbal overtone, thanks to the marjoram.

This weekend looks to be warm, calm, sunny and perfect for a peek into the bee hives.  I’ll be looking to count frames full of honey for harvesting.  I’ll update you on that next week.  I would be thrilled with an early spring honey harvest as well as a few new jars of freshly bottled honey to enjoy with the fruits of early summer.

Enjoy!

Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients:
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp. finely minced shallot
1 tsp. minced garlic
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
salt to taste

Cut up avocado into chunks.  Add avocado and remaining ingredients, except salt, to a blender or food processor.  Blend until creamy and smooth.  More buttermilk can be added to thin out the consistency of the dressing.   Add salt to taste.