Green Goddess Dressing

One of my food rules (and there are many) is always order the things with avocado when in California. The west coast seems to have a way with them, consistently butter soft and flavorful, enriching eggs, sandwiches, quesadillas and just about anything else you can think of.

This rule was validated on a recent trip to San Fran and L.A.  One of the highlights was a Green Goddess Salad at Tyler Florence’s El Paseo in Mill Valley. Tender leaves of bibb lettuce cupped sliced avocado and sweet orange segments, all generously topped with creamy blobs of bright, herby Green Goddess Dressing.

Wonderful.

And on a side trip to Stockton for the Asparagus Festival my cousin Denise gave me this handy avocado slicer. (“I’ll never use it — you want it?”) The even slices it makes makes it nice to have, if not exactly what you’d call a revolutionary gadget.

The splendor of Green Goddess is the sweetness of the herbs, without the additional of sugar. So please, no more than a single clove of garlic.

Here’s my recreation of that dressing.

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
Recipe makes 2 cups

4 anchovies (the packed-in-oil variety)
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
2 scallions, roughly chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise (the olive oil type if you can get it)
3/4 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
black pepper

Into a blender jar place the anchovies, garlic, herbs and scallions. Alternately pulse and scrape down the sides to chop up the herbs.

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon and lime juice.  Run the blender on a lowish speed, scraping down the sides when necessary to get the whole mass blending around in a vortex.

Blend until all the herbs are chopped into tiny flecks.  Add a grind or two of black pepper.  It’s best when served the same day, but will keep for a week or so, covered, in the fridge.

GREEN GODDESS AVOCADO SALAD
Recipe

1 head bibb lettuce
1 ripe avocado
1 navel orange
1 cup Green Goddess Dressing

Wash the bibb lettuce.  Pat dry with dish towels. Keep the large outer leaves whole, rip the inner white leaves into small pieces.

Peel the orange, carefully pull apart into individual segments.  Pull off the all the white strings on the segments, taking care not to pull the segments open.

Slice the avocado. Neatness counts.

Fan out the large leaves of lettuce around a shallow bowl or platter.  Pile the torn white leaves in the center, then arrange the avocado slices and orange segments all around.

Spoon blobs of dressing on top.  Do not toss. To serve lift the salad by the big bottom leaves.

Serves 4.