Ranch dressing

peppery.

This dressing makes my tongue sing!  You can find the recipe at Sally's over at 60in60.

• Munching on dates as I made this dressing took me back to my years in Sacramento.  Dates grew locally (and organically) there and it was there that I discovered these food gems which might as well be called Nature's candy.

• Putting this dressing together, I realized anew how crucial spices and herbs are in providing the foundation of how something tastes.  Yes, the creaminess and tang of Ranch dressing are significant components, but for a super smeller like me, when the scents of black pepper and dill hit my brain, I thought: yes, this is what makes Ranch, Ranch!

• I didn't follow the recipe to the letter.  I omitted the chives (because I was still in my jammies and my chives grow out in the backyard) and the parsley (because I'm lazy and was pulled into a wave of instant gratification-need and the parsley was in the fridge unwashed and unchopped).  I intend to include these in a future making of this recipe.

• I had the scrapings of the dressing on my salad yesterday for lunch (satisfying my need for instant gratification).  And it was good.  But, the recipe calls for the dressing to spend time in the fridge before serving to thicken it up and for the flavors to meld.  It is recommended once this has happened, to thin the dressing with a bit of hemp milk, as desired.  I did not do this this morning.  I have a cold and wanted the full punch of flavor.  And this dressing is flavorful...it is so delicious.

• You could put this dressing on a lot of things.  I've already had it on salad and eggs.  I could see enjoying this with so many things: toast, crudité, rice, chicken wings, and even pizza (which I may not have thought of had Sally not mentioned it in her post!)