Creamy Green Garlic Dressing

Use this with grilled Little Gem Lettuces, or other salads, or dollop onto sandwiches or whole rye toasts with cold smoked salmon. The flavor and perfume of garlic will be abundant, but none of the heat.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup, heaping, sliced green garlic, white part only

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon neutral flavored oil, such as grape seed

½ cup labne, or thick plain yogurt other than Greek style (It is too tart for this recipe)

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

A small pinch of fresh thyme, minced, if you have it

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

In a very small pot, heat enough water to just cover the sliced garlic. When it is boiling, add the sliced garlic and blanch just long enough to soften the garlic, 30-60 seconds. Drain the garlic through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl reserving the cooking water for possible use.

Put the vinegar, sugar, herbs, and salt and pepper in the blender. Whizz a few seconds to mix the ingredients. Add the green garlic and pureé. If it needs more liquid to get moving, add some of the blanching water a tablespoon at a time until it is spinning freely. Pureé until smooth.

With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Turn off the machine, add the labne, then run the blender until everything is mixed and homogenous.

Taste for balance. If the dressing is too thick, but tart enough, use a little of the blanching water to thin the dressing. If it seems flat, add a touch more vinegar.

Store in the refrigerator until needed. Lasts about 5 days before the flavor drops off.

Chef’s Notes: If the green garlic seems especially mild, up the amount used, knowing it might take a little more liquid to get it moving in the blender. Use this with grilled salmon or chicken, as a dip for raw vegetables. Using white wine vinegar will make it tarter if you like it that way. Use leftover blanching water as part of a stock made from the greens of the garlic along with some onion, shallots, a couple garlic cloves, a carrot, and a little celery. Keep the herbs light and use the broth as a base for stocks, in soup, or for cooking light flavored meats or vegetables in.

Yield: Around 1¼ cups

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen