Makes about 11/2 cups dressing
This tangy dressing goes well with all kinds of salad greens and is especially good with cucumbers and summer-ripe tomatoes. Pour it over steamed and sliced new potatoes for a delicious warm potato salad. Coarsely crack the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or use the flat side of a chef’s knife to crack them on a cutting board. The dressing will keep, in a tightly covered jar, in the refrigerator for about a week.
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons garlic chives, snipped
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced tarragon
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground green peppercorns
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1. Whisk the buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice, and mayonnaise in a small bowl until it is smooth and well blended.
2. Blend in the remaining ingredients.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Correct seasoning and allow to come to cool room temperature before serving.
Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille, respectively from Brookeville, Maryland, and San Jose, California, are innovative food developers and coauthors of such jewels as Herbs in the Kitchen (Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press, 1992) and the spicy New Southwestern Cooking (New York: Macmillan, 1985).
Click here for the main article, Peppercorns Around the World.