Scratch Ranch

Sometimes I get a craving for ranch salad dressing to goop on what I call "junk food salad"—lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, scallions, green olives, sunflower seeds, grated cheese and croutons—all the stuff I'd put on my plate at the salad bar when I was a kid. But now I find the taste, or really the aftertaste, of bottled ranch a little unpleasant. So I make my own using full-fat everything. It's so tasty (you'll never go back to the bottle) and not at all good for you. So it fits the theme.

Scratch Ranch Dressing

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 clove garlic, finely minced or smashed
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 scallions, sliced thinly, white and green part
2-3 teaspoons fresh herbs, minced (I used basil, oregano and parsley, but anything you like will do)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put everything in a jar and shake or process in a blender. Chill for at least an hour before serving.




Junk Food Salad (anything goes but here's what I like)

Leaf lettuce (a little more flavor than iceberg but still crunchy) - chopped
Red cabbage (thinly sliced)
Broccoli (tops sliced thin so you just have tiny buds - this makes it easy to eat and more palatable for non-broccoli lovers)
Carrot (peeled, sliced into thin coins)
Cheese - grated coarsely ( I used mozzarella this time)
Green olives - sliced
Sunflower seeds
Croutons
Crumbled bacon (flavor is so good with ranch)
Hard-boiled eggs, diced