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As we step into a new season this week, I'm reflecting on the sensual, embodied experience of the changing seasons. Everything is buzzing with anticipation and my senses feel heightened after the calm quiet of winter. I feel giddy seeing the first flush of bright, almost yellowy green leaves, whose color will deepen as the days grow longer and hotter. The smell of earth, the feeling of the sun's warmth on my skin, spring is for me a time to feel alive and connected to the world around me.
Maybe my appreciation of spring is rooted in the fact that I'm a springtime baby (my 40th is coming up, and yes I gladly accept gifts), and so I feel very much like I'm entering "my" season. I'm a person who tends to embody rebirth and renewal in my life and work, too, forever reflecting and refining to create the work and life I want.
But at its core, I think it's that spring is such a sensory season: The smell of flowering trees (and the clouds of pollen!), green grass, warming temps, the chance to dig my hands in the earth and harvest wild plants to enjoy in my kitchen. It's a time where we feel promise towards the bounty of the future, but unlike in the dead of winter, begin to experience some of that promise in the here and now.
Green goddess dressing is one of my favorite springtime go-tos, and it's an embodiment of the sensuality of this season. My version of this dressing relies heavily on fresh-as-can-be herbs, meaning it is inherently a reflection of time and place: As the seasons change, its ingredients are liable to change as well, and it simply doesn't work with limp, old herbs shipped in from faraway places.
Though perhaps not the intention of the chef who first created it at San Francisco's Palace Hotel in the 1920s (particularly given the unsavory origins of the dressing's name), green goddess dressing contains herbs dairy, and sometimes eggs: All symbols of springtime and fertility.
One thing I love about playing with culinary traditions is the chance to adapt that tradition to your own life: My green goddess is a far cry from the original, which includes eggs and mustard that I omit. Instead, I really lean into the herbal component, loading in big, bursting handfuls of fresh-as-possible herbs to get a tangy, bright, and creamy dressing that I use for everything from salads (of course), to dip, to an accompaniment to roast veg and chicken.
I love herbs, which means the dressing gets put on just about everything!
Like much of what I make, this is less recipe than method: Sometimes I use buttermilk, sometimes I'll use yogurt if I've made extra. It's all about what's on hand.
Here's my method:
In a blender, add roughly 1 quart (4 cups) of the freshest herbs you can find: parsley, tarragon, basil, and dill are some of my go-tos, and I love experimenting with new combinations (I've never tried cilantro in here, but live your truth and give it a shot if you want).
If you're short on herbs, add in greens like spinach or arugula, or even wild greens like chickweed and violet.
Add in a heavy pinch of salt and some good cracks of fresh black pepper, a splash of apple cider vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, half a shallot, and ~2 cups of whatever dairy you're using (I like buttermilk or yogurt). For a vegan version, you can swap out with vegan yogurt or sour cream.
Blend until smooth and verdant (green!): If it's too thick, just add another splash of vinegar or two until you get the consistency you want.
Store your dressing in the fridge.
Happy spring!
(Normally, I share these special recipes with paid subscribers only, if you’d like to see more writing like this, I’d love to have you join us!)
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