buttermilk ranch

I used to use the hidden valley packets to make ranch at camp, it's simple, you mix even parts mayo and buttermilk and voila, ranch.  but this year, i had the diligence to actually create and refine my own recipe.  so here it goes:

8 oz mayo (there are some that have high fructose corn syrup, major reason why i wanted to make my own in the first place, so make sure you read ingredients if you want to make this to avoid some of those pesky ingredients)
1 tsp parsley flake (dried, crush with hands)
1/4 tsp dill (dried, crush with hands)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp granulated onion (granulated spices have a different flavor than powdered, i think powdered tends to make things sweeter and granulated has that richer earthy flavor)
1/4 tsp granulated garlic

whisk ingredients together well (watch for pockets of seasonings)

whisk in 4-6 oz buttermilk (depending on how think/runny you prefer).

yeilds 12-14 oz

you can store it in an old jar or bottle you have, some places will sell squeeze bottles if you start investing in making your own condiments, buy these.

you can also use the seasonings and replace both the mayo and buttermilk with sour cream (12-14 oz) and make a ranch dip that is tasty for both veggies and chips.  i also use these seasonings when making potato wedges or roasted vegetables.  they are so good you won't want to dip them in anything.

lime cilantro dressing

so this is a rather popular dressing i make.  i even got a letter from some of the counselors last summer telling me that it was "sent from the gods."  i started playing around with making my own salad dressings last year not only to make salads more exciting for the kids, but just to add a bit a variety in the everyday life of camp.  i use a submersion blender to make this, but you can make it in the blender.

what you need:
4 limes (1 lime produces about 2 tablespoons, so if using lime juice, then 1/2 cup, but i urge you to use fresh lime juice)
4 tsp sunflower seeds (i believe the ones i use are salted and roasted, but you can use the plain kind, just add a dash more salt)

1 tbsp chopped garlic (if you buy chopped garlic in oil or water that comes in a jar, add 1 tbsp of its juice, if not, add about 1/2 tbsp more of garlic)

salt and pepper

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp white vinegar

2 1/4 cups oil (olive or olive/canola blend, at camp i use a 75% canola, 25% olive oil blend)
2-4 bushels of cilantro (depending on how much you love cilantro, i go heavy on it and would use 1/4 lb on this size batch)

in the blender, puree lime juice, sunflower seeds, garlic, a dash of salt and pepper, and vinegar until the smooth.  add the oil and cilantro and blend until cilantro is broken down.  i put the whole thing in, stem and leaf, the stems break up really well, but the leaf will still be in little chunks.  this should produce about 4 cups of dressing, and lasts a long time.

lime cilantro dressing drizzled on spinach leaves

not just for salads, it goes well with chicken or turkey dishes, pasta dishes, and potato dishes.

tofu and zucchini stir-fry with dressing  as marinade