Ranch Dressing is the leading dressing for salads.   This Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe is easy to make and is made using fresh herbs from your garden. So while your planting poseys in your flower beds… leave a little room for growing the popular herbs,  chives and parsley.  They are a wonderful perennials and they are the main herbs used in Ranch Dressing.

Both herbs, parsley and chives, like to be planted in rich soil and they like the sun.  However, my mom had a beautiful bed of parsley that grew under some bushes… and it did very well.   Parsley and Chives winter over very well, even in cold temperatures. They are up and ready to begin harvesting by the middle of May.

A bit of advise about harvesting your herbs.  Parsley should be harvested frequently so it keeps coming back.  Harvest it while the shoots are relatively young.   If you are going to be using chives for eating, prevent them from flowering by cutting out all the flower buds as they appear.  Allowing them to bloom restricts the growth of new leaves.  Harvest your chives from the outside edges cutting them 2″ above ground.  They will continue to grow and you can harvest them frequently during the entire summer.

Cut parsley stems close to the ground and it will continue to reproduce.   Wash it.   I know… I’ve heard that your not suppose to wash herbs… but the thought of eating  tiny gnats doesn’t appeal to me, so, I wash it well and hold it by the stems and shake all the water out.  (Yep.. I was right.. there are those little bitty gnats.)  Dry the parsley carefully with a towel.  I cut the parsley fine with a small pair of scissors I keep in the kitchen.

Wash and dry the chives too.  Using the scissors, snip the chives in 1/4″ lengths.

Any extra herbs left… just leave them in the bowls and both herbs will dry in about 2 days.  If you get a bit nervous… cover the bowl lightly with a paper towel.  Shake the bowl now and again so the herbs will dry evenly.

I pick up a few small jars at Ikea.  Each time I harvest the herbs and dry them they are added to the bottles.   Soon, several bottles will be filled and ready for winter use.  (Great Christmas gifts.)

This homemade Ranch Dressing was such a hit with my family that I’m going to keep an ample supply in my fridge all summer long.

They ingredients are very simple:  1 Cup Sour Cream,  1 Cup Mayonnaise,  1 Cup Buttermilk.  1 heaping T.B. Chopped Chives,  1 heaping T.B. Chopped Parsley,  1 Large Garlic Clove Crushed (About the side of a quarter… and some times I use a bit extra… Mmmmmm garlic!)  2 Tesp. of Fresh Lime.  (Yield 3 Cups and it keeps for several weeks.)

In a mixing bowl, combined the Sour Cream, Mayonnaise, and Buttermilk.

Add the cut Chives.  Yes… it’s okay if you sneak in a bit extra.

Add the cut Parsley.  Smell the aroma!

I love my garlic press because it saves so much time.  Press your garlic and add it to the mixture.  Yea for garlic!

If you put your limes in the microwave for about 15 seconds… it will warm them… then roll the lime with the heal of your palm until the lime is soft.  Wow! lots of juice.

Add the lime juice.

Mix all  together with a wire whip.  Place it  in fridge for a few hours so the flavors blend well.

Heap this Fresh Ranch Dressing on your crisp green salad.

If you want something delicious.. try this Fresh Homemade Ranch Dressing on potatoes.

And fish is to die for with this Ranch dressing on it.

So… get busy and plant yourself a little herb garden and enjoy this Fresh Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe all summer long.

Till Later,

Kathy Griffiths
Insightful Nana

P.S.  During the winter months, use the Ranch Dressing recipe I posted earlier this year. You can use your own dried parsley.

P.P.S.  Click on the related posts below and learn more about herbs.

P.P.S.  I think I’ll head for the kitchen.  A green salad sounds really good!