Spring Salad Dressing from Louisiana

Yes, that definitely is an Erma moment. Only had it been me, the turkey would have fallen on the floor and not back into the bucket.

I had a minor Erma moment this weekend too. With that freeze back in April, there are no flowers in bloom in my garden so I had to make do with a greens arrangement. I collected spearmint (in honor of the Derby), ferny anise fronds, and lots of gray santolina from the herb garden. Santolina, in my opinion, is not really an herb but a weed. It has no culinary use, and it is so invasive that it takes over every garden it is in. We pull it out by the handfuls and a week later it is right back. So naturally the freeze didn’t hurt it at all.

I made a nice green herb arrangement in a Lenox vase for the dining room table. Forest green table cloth, green plaid runners, and creamy candles to match the creamy Lenox china. It was quite an elegant table with champagne flutes and silver. It’s not quite so elegant today. Sometime during the night the cat jumped up on the table and snacked on the herbs. They all have a slightly chewed on appearance.

Our famous Kentucky Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce is in its prime now. What a shame that this delicious lettuce has to be home grown, but it is so delicate that it will not ship. Within a hour of cutting it, it begins to go limp. It is traditionally served with a hot bacon dressing that wilts it immediately. Also good is this Spring Dressing from Louisiana. I found it in an old women’s club cookbook from the 1950’s. The only reason I can figure out that it is called Spring Dressing is that it calls for green onions, which used to be only available in the spring.

Spring Dressing From Louisiana:

3 green onions chopped–tiops included
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
A handful of parsley, chopped
½ cup of sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 garlic pod
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
Couple of shakes of Worchestershire Sauce
Sugar (Optional) to taste–usually 2 tablespoons

Chop the onions and parsley. Mince the garlic pod in the KitchenAid garlic-press. Mix all together and taste. Add sugar if needed. Some mayonnaise is much tarter than other brands. Store in the refrigerator in a covered jar for a week or more. This is very similar to Ranch Dressing, and we love it so much that I often double the recipe.