Green Goddess Dressing

A classic salad dressing made with parsley, tarragon, chives and sour cream for a tangy finish. Do you remember green goddess dressing? It used to be pretty popular in the 70s and 80s when I first encountered it. If I’m not mistaken it was one of the usual dressings for a typical California salad with mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds. It sounds like a dressing right out of Marin County central casting, but apparently it was invented in the 20s, by the chef at the Palace Hotel (beautiful hotel, still there) in San Francisco, to commemorate the actor George Arliss and his play, The Green Goddess.

Vary the proportions of the herbs to suit your taste. If you want, add some ripe avocado to the mix.

2 tsp. anchovy paste or 2-4 canned anchovies
1 small clove garlic, minced
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh tarragon, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until you get an evenly smooth dressing, about 30-45 seconds.

Serve as a dip, or toss with salad greens for a dressing.

The dressing should last about a week in the fridge.

Makes about 2 cups.