Green Goddess Dressing

Everyone has fond memories about visits with the grandparents. Many of mine include picking blueberries, learning to make the best cornbread dressing, and watching my granddaddy fix breakfast. But one memory sticks out in my mind... my first encounter with Green Goddess Salad Dressing. With a title like that, you couldn't help but be intrigued! I saw my grandfather open the bottle and began to pour it over his salad. It was green, slightly globby, and I wanted no part of it! Why was I so opposed? This was the man who taught me to eat and enjoy sardines, surely he could convince me to try a salad dressing! My mother explained that it was a very popular salad dressing years ago (Invented in San Francisco in the 1920s) and I should try a bite. Despite their best efforts, I couldn't get past the odd green color and strange title.

Recently I was flipping through a food magazine and a recipe jumped off the page "GREEN GODDESS DRESSING." As I read through the ingredients I realized this dressing was not as scary as it seemed... avocado, mayo, chives, basil, anchovies, lemon juice. I began to wonder what made me avoid the dressing. Putting the past aside, I grabbed my food processor and began to create my second encounter with Green Goddess Dressing. Yes, it was green and slightly gloppy, but it was delicious! Very herbaceous and it blended perfectly with the salad greens from my garden.

I substituted the traditional mayo for sour cream, added whatever herbs were alive in my garden, and I did use anchovies! You can't even taste them but they add an important umami flavor that ties the dressing together. If you're scared of anchovies, don't be! They're actually in most of the Caesar salad dressings you eat and most people can't even tell. Just a nice little surprise, like Green Goddess!

Green Goddess Salad Dressing:
1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
2 anchovy fillets
2 Tbsp basil
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot
juice and zest from 1/2 lime
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sherry
2 Tbsp Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over a fresh green salad or use as a dip for a veggie tray!