OK, that sounds kind of hokey. But we have been very busy lately. First we had our family here for a week and today I returned from another week back at their house taking care of my lovely and talented four year old granddaughter. There has not been a whole lot of cooking going on. But before I tell you about this amazing Green Goddess Dressing I have to mention what my husband was up to while I was in Cary. As I have said before, we have added a second story to our small lake cottage and are still working on the finishing touches. There is a perfect alcove in my new kitchen for a desk and a set of shelves for my cookbooks. While I was away my wonderful and talented husband built them. I have spent the afternoon cozying up to my desk. For some reason I am feeling more creative sitting here. I found a small lamp to illuminate my space and now need to go to the storage building to rescue all of my cookbooks that I have not seen in two years. When I have my space finished I will post a picture.
But the real subject of this post is the green goddess dressing and salad that my DIL made while I was visiting them. Kristen is one of the best cooks that I have ever encountered. On another post I will tell you about her Mole flavored flank steak and cheesy mashed potatoes. She has a creative palette and brings out the best in everything that she cooks. But like me, one of her favorite cooks is Ina Garten. Our dinner last night was my Pan Seared Scallops with Citrus Butter, basmati rice, and this wonderful bibb salad with basil green goddess dressing.
There was a hit play in the 1920’s at the Palace Hotel in San Francicso called The Green Goddess. The salad was a tribute to the playwright. However you view it, this is a salad dressing for summer; full of basil, garlic and lemon. To me, it tastes like summer and it is the perfect dressing for my fresh tomatoes and lettuce. It is also a good dip for fresh vegetables. My thanks to Kristen for introducing me to this tasty salad dressing.
BIBB SALAD WITH BASIL GREEN GODDESS DRESSING ( The Barefoot Contessa )
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts ( 6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
3 heads Bibb lettuce
2 to 3 tomatoes
Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)
Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on 6 salad plates. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to lthe plates. Pour on the dressing and serve.
The dressing sounds wonderful! I am glad you had fun these past couple of weeks with your family.
Can’t wait to see your special alcove! I know it is going to be fabulous!
Hugs,
Penny
p.s. are you able to go to lunch and shopping anytime soon?
Basil Green Goddess dressing has summer all over it. I can’t wait to try it.
That sounds delicious! I’ll have to try this one.
Your recipe arrived at the right time! I have an aboundance of basil and now you are giving me another chance to use it; thank you.
Rita
I love Ina’s recipes. I wish I had a cookbook shelf and desk in my kitchen. Can hardly wait to see the photos.
Thank you! Thank you for making the anchovy paste optional. I love green goddess dressing but have stayed away from making it because of the anchovy paste–I can eat the dressing if I don’t know the nitty gritty nasty detail of smashed anchovies. I’ll make it for sure now.
And pictures, we need picture of the cozy little nook your “wonderful husband” created. There’s no great love than a husband’s knowing his wife needs a room–or alcove–of her own. Thanks for another great blog.
I used to love Wishbone’s green goddess dressing in the 1970s and 1980s. I hadn’t thought of it in years, but I am glad to know I can make it myself. This looks delightful!
Gosh Penny, I haven’t had Green Goddess dressing in forever!
I’m really looking forward to trying this!
Looks amazing! Great post, I will try it.