Greek Feta Dressing with Buttermilk

Honestly, the only reason I eat salad, is because I like dressing. There I said it. I do think salads are yummy when they contain more than just lettuce, but I guess I still have not grown out of my childhood, when my Dad used to say that the slugs in the garden ate more lettuce than we (my brother and me)!

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I know raw foods and leafy greens are healthy, but don’t be fooled, stay away from Iceberg lettuce, there is nothing in there if nutritional value, nope nada, it’s just crunchy water.

In the spring and fall, when my garden is producing lots of lettuce, I have to get creative and not only use up the prolific stream of salad greens coming out of my garden  but also the various herbs I grow.

I like the fresh and asserting flavors of Greek dishes: lemon, thyme, Greek oregano, garlic and salty feta cheese (it makes you feel like a sunny vacation). So I decided to get working and turn that into something good. Using Buttermilk and Cottage cheese gives the dressing body and thickness without the added calories of mayonnaise.

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 lemon, zest only
  • 1 md clove garlic*
  • 1 slice Feta cheese ( about 1″x 1/2″x 4″ ) chopped
  • 2 tbsp chives, fresh, chopped, divided*
  • 1 tsp oregano (from 2 fresh sprigs, leaves only)*
  • 1/2 tsp Thyme*
  • 1 tsp black pepper corns, freshly ground in Mortar

* I used all fresh herbs and ingredients. If you are using dried herbs, adjust the quantity down

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Directions

  1. Blend all ingredients except 1 tbsp chives, oil, vinegar and buttermilk in blender until smooth.
  2. Add buttermilk, oil and vinegar, pulse to combine. Remove from blender and stir in remaining chives. Ready to enjoy!

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So far I have used it on various lettuce & vegetable salads (muuuch better than just lettuce). And the sprouted Quinoa White Bean Broccoli salad I had today. Thinking that using it as a marinade might be good as well…
If you’re in need of an idea,
try the warm Sprouted Quinoa Broccoli and White Bean Salad‘ I had today (recipe coming tomorrow)

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