A Southern Staple

Living in the South, I have learned that ranch dressing is a big part of Southern cuisine. It’s a dip for veggies, a must for chicken wings and a favorite salad dressing of many southerners. I haven’t bought a bottle of salad dressing in years! I prefer to make my own. One of my favorite ranch recipes is for Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch.

If you love ranch dressing or if you need help getting your kids to eat veggies or simply want to see how Southern folks make ranch, you must try this recipe. The ingredient list is long but all you need is a food processor and in just a few minutes you will have creamy homemade ranch dressing.

Ingredients:

1 cup Dukes mayo (if you live in the south you will understand)

1/2 cup organic sour cream

1 clove organic garlic minced

1 spoonful of chopped fresh parsley

2 spoonfuls of fresh chopped chives

1 dash of hot sauce

1 dash of worcestershire sauce

Splash of white vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 cup fresh shaved parmesan

1/2 cup organic buttermilk (could be less or more this depends on your preference of thickness)

Fresh cracker pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in your food processor with the exception of the buttermilk. I slowly add the buttermilk because I like my ranch on the thicker side but this is a personal preference. If time permits put all the ingredients in a Pyrex glass container and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or more. This just gives all the flavors a chance to really meld together. Tonight I made salads which I topped with the Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch. Time to dig in!