Spring Entertaining
Southern Socials
Creamy Lemon-Feta Dressing
If there’s one thing that can undoubtedly dress a lovely bowl of spring greens to the nines, it’s homemade salad dressing. Freshly snipped herbs, a splash of citrus & robust feta cheese impart bold flavor to this buttermilk kissed must. Drizzle over lettuces, spread over sandwiches or toss with cooked pasta & vegetables to enjoy spring super stars at their finest. Follow my instructions & get ready to impress guests effortlessly with a humble little number.
Creamy Lemon-Feta Dressing
makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup whole buttermilk
The juice of 1 lemon
2-oz crumbled Feta cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, pressed
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Garnish: Fresh parsley
Combine the first 6 ingredients. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with chopped, fresh parsley. Serve over your favorite salad greens. Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Juice Fresh Lemons
Fresh offerings need not be complicated. Follow my lead for handcrafted goodness. Try the dressing as a base for a cold pasta salad. Grape tomatoes, black olives, scallions & artichoke hearts would be fine additions. Look to Greek Pasta Salad as the perfect accompaniment. Expect fresh herb flavor with a salty undertone from the feta. The garlic adds good balance & zip. Substitute light mayonnaise or reduced fat feta, if desired.
The Technique
Lemons can be used in both sweet & savory foods pairing well with just about anything making them extremely versatile. When choosing them from produce bins, select fruit with a bright, uniform color. Pick them up & gently press them in your hand. They should feel firm with a slight give to them. If the zest is desired, take care of that task first by running the outer portion over a microplane grater, then slice the lemons in half for juicing. Extracting it from the citrus is simple when the correct tool is used.
When fresh lemon juice is needed for recipe applications, it’s important to have the right device that will release every bit. A glass juicer where the reamer is set over a small bowl to collect the juice can be used or my preferred choice is a lemon press. These valuable tools are generally coated with a non-reactive finish to prevent the acid from producing off flavors. Citrus halves can be placed in the custom fit compartment then the handles pressed together to extract the juice over a small bowl. It’s efficient enough to press every bit of juice quickly. Once the task is complete, the pulp & seeds will be left behind. Simply remove the used lemon halves & discard them. Before adding the juice to recipe applications, pour it through a small fine wire mesh sieve to collect any seeds or unwanted bits of pulp that may be in the bowl.
The Tune
“Misty” Sarah Vaughan
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Rebecca Gordon
Be sweet.
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