Spicy Ranch Dressing

So...tell me, what is the best thing about having a lot of leftover buttermilk from those cheddar thyme biscuits you made this week? You got it! Homemade ranch dressing. Extremely easy and a lot better than the bottled stuff! Grab some greens. Grab some carrots and celery and get a few ingredients together and whip this up quickly! Remember, though, this is best after being refrigerated for awhile after making. So, give yourself time, preferably overnight.

Ok, make your garlic paste. Crush two cloves of garlic pretty well. Give 'em a good smack, crush with a knife. Add a heavy pinch of kosher salt and chop the garlic with the salt. The salt acts as an abrasive and will draw the liquid out of the garlic, making it easier to break down into a paste. 

Start taking the blade of your knife and dragging it across the garlic/salt mixture as you press down on the blade with your other hand to crush it further. It takes some time, but keep doing it. You will eventually get to this point:

Perfect! Ok, chop some fresh dill until you have about a tablespoon and a half. Chop a green onion (white and green parts) until you have about a tablespoon of chopped green onion.

Ok, add 1/2 cup each of buttermilk, mayo and sour cream to a bowl.

Then, to the bowl, add your garlic paste, dill, green onion, salt & pepper, white vinegar and lemon juice.

Whisk away until smooth. I split my recipe into two parts; a little more than 3/4 cup in each part. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to one part or 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons for the whole recipe. I just like spicy ranch on some things and regular ranch on others, so I split it. Refrigerate overnight, if you can. At least an hour so the kosher salt has time to dissolve and the garlic paste can permeate. 

Easy! Fresh! Creamy! Good stuff...

Recipe Card:

1/2 cup buttermilk (don't use skim buttermilk, please)

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1.5 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (3/4 tablespoon if dried dill)

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

1 tablespoon white vinegar

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon for whole recipe)

salt & pepper to taste + kosher salt for garlic paste