Thursday, January 15, 2009

Green Goddess Dressing Vegetable Platter

If you're ever wondering what to bring to a dinner party, brunch, or even holiday feast, look no further. It's a cinch to make, fun to arrange, green and fresh and delicious. Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, blanch some vegetables, and you have the makings of a simple and beautiful platter.


And the best part about green goddess dressing is that you can use any herbs you want. My version uses parsley, tarragon, and chives; I've also seen it done with dill, basil, and probably any combination you desire. Add a green onion and a tad vinegar, and you're golden...oops!...green.

Green Goddess Dressing
adapted from Gourmet, March 2002

Although I'm not one for major substitutions, I took one look at the original recipe and thought surely one can substitute something for that whole cup of mayonnaise. So I tried using half a cup plain yogurt and a half cup mayo, and ended up liking it very much: it was a bit tangy, not as thick, and overall deemed a good decision. I also upped the amount of herbs, as I like my dressing intensely aromatic.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 anchovy fillets, minced
(optional)
1 chopped scallion

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon tarragon (or white wine) vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Purée all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and pour into a small bowl nestled amongst an array of vegetables. My favorites are asparagus, snow peas, beans, carrots, celery and cucumbers; I usually blanch* the first four.

*On blanching: Bring a pot of water to boil and liberally salt. Cook vegetables in like batches until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes (depending on the vegetable.) When finished, "shock" them in a bowl of ice water in order to preserve freshness and color.

5 comments:

  1. Interesting. Sounds almost like a herbed Caesar dressing.

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  2. ...Somewhat, but not quite. It's a tad thinner than the often times overthick Caesar, and doesn't have the same delightful pungency afforded by Caesar's garlic and anchovies. It's lighter, fresher, and most of all, greener.

    That reminds me: I need to try making my own Caesar dressing! By all accounts it's a revelation...

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  3. Kelly,

    I am researching a cook book and would love to feature your recipe and interview for the book. Please email me for more details: agenn@optonline.net

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  4. I haven't had that in years and am now craving it! Your recipe looks good and you have a lovely blog, will be back to explore more!

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  5. Thank you! I visited your site as well--it's so nice : ) I'm going to have to try the rosemary gin and tonic, a favorite drink of mine I picked up studying at Oxford (along with Pimms and lemonade. Oh. My. Gosh.)

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