Classic green goddess salad dressing
Classic green goddess salad dressing
(recipe below)
According to the most accepted theory or legend, “Green Goddess” salad dressing was born in the early ’20s in San Francisco, at a dinner at the Palace Hotel honoring George Arliss, the famous actor who starred in the play The Green Goddess. Then the Seven Seas salad dressing company made it and bottled it – sold it in stores, and if you born any time before 1986 or so, you may remember it.
Some companies even went and tried to copy it and call it Creamy Italian dressing, and added sugar to it (Creamy Italian dressing was one of the most disgusting things ever invented, IMHO). Kraft bought the company, so you might still find it on shelves, but it’s called “Kraft Seven Seas Green Goddess” now.
My recipe is the closest I could get, to having it taste the way I liked the old Kraft version, which, I recall, probably didn’t have Xanthan gum and tons of sugar in it like it does now. Annie’s Homegrown/Annie’s Naturals also make one, and a vegan one. I’ve had the Annie’s one and it’s OK but not really what I grew up enjoying.
This stuff does not contain avocados! I dunno WTF that is about, nor which stupid soccer mom added that in and made it popular with Pinterest hoes across the continent, but it’s always meant to be a slightly garlicky, herbaceous, creamy, tangy thing, and a WHITE dressing with flecks of green…not a thick and lumpy green dressing.
I take 1 clove garlic and smash it and peel it, then add
about 1/2 cup of mayo (I make my own), and 1/2 cup sour cream, and throw it into the food processor with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (or red wine vinegar works, too)
Then add a couple green onions, rough-chopped (I use it all and trim the roots off–but your call), a handful of fresh basil leaves (or 1 TB dry), 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (or even less), some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple sprigs of dill, and a good pinch of salt with a couple cranks of pepper, and whiz it all up. It keeps in a jar in the fridge for about 6-8 days. If it separates, just shake it up, it’s fine, as long as it’s kept cold.
NOTES
The original recipe calls for anchovies. I did not include them because I did not have any, and I thought it was OK. It gives it more umami, though.
If you hate celery seed (totally understandable), throw in a small handful of fresh leaves from off a stalk or two of celery, or even some celery, instead. You have to have a teeny bit of celery flavor in there, somehow, so whatever way you want, really.
If you’re lazy, you can skip all the herb and vegetable chopping, and add in 1 TB of Penzey’s Green Goddess seasoning blend (https://goo.gl/vcuZng) which is meant to serve as the herb base, so you still have to add the sour cream, mayo, and an acid (vinegar or lemon juice). I used to buy it and use it. It’s DELICIOUS. But you have to kind of wait for it to reconstitute and so if you are making a salad RIGHT FUCKING NOW, it’s not awesome like the fresh kind, in that respect, plus it has sugar in it, which I don’t eat anymore.
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Bill Davis it’s an article. You win a prize if you can find the recipe
Bobbi Jo Woods ?
Oh, and some recipes call for tarragon. I’ve never missed it, but I do like it A LOT and frankly, if you’re using this in any salad or appetizer that has chicken, I think chicken and tarragon are a wonderful married couple.
Tarragon is absolutely going in along with Anchovies and Celery seed. This looks like a delicious dressing , going to make a batch this weekend. thank you for the share. ?
Sounds like a plan. Enjoy!
I think I love your grandma
I always liked unconventional tater salads
Also, yes, it is yummy. I love it in bloody Marys
Most seeds also take on a nice toasty note if you toast them in a pan . It doesn’t work with everything but I love toasted whole cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Coriander is really a star if you toast them and chop up a little and add it to a couple of steamed new potatoes that have a rough mash. with a little chicken stock and ok if you like a smidgen of sweet butter, green onions and flat leaf parsley it’s perfectly and it’s just smells so aromatic it is delicious. God I have a pathetic life.
oooh I want to try that with cumin and roasted radish
Bobbi Jo Woods speaking of, this is the greatest tasting non conventional potato salad I’ve ever had. I’ve made this several times and the dish is completely emptied out.
http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/recipes/a6191/potato-salad-recipe-ll-0509/
Bobbi Jo Woods yum
Nice. Too bad I don’t eat potatoes anymore. At least not right now, I’m in strict keto mode.
Also, are you kidding? re: liking food being pathetic? Uh, no. It’s one of the things I love about people, if they do, too.
Daniella Arianne I know I was being a bit silly. I served a 3 year apprentice in classical French cooking at a 5 Star Hotel working for a genius bastard Chef who taught me everything , spent years working the line as a cook and eventually got somewhere in that career path and started opening up resturaunts or heading kitchens as a Chef in Los Angeles and Phoenix. I worked in kitchens for decades. Cooking is absolutely one way I show love 🙂 As a professional Chef, you never forget technique. I’m still pretty good in a kitchen 😉
Stop trying to woo me!
PS – speaking of bastards, have you seen Chef’s Table yet?