Green Goddess Dip

On my first attempt to replicate the green goddess dressing that they serve on the cobb salad at Salut, I ended up with more of a white-with-green-flecks goddess dip.  I suppose it could be mixed with a little vinegar and watered down to make a dressing, but the consistency as is better lends itself to use as a dip or spread.  I have to admit that I was anything but impressed by this dip once I finished all of the chopping and mixing.  Frustrated  is a much more appropriate word.  I ended up throwing the bowl in the fridge for an hour or two while I messed around with other things, and the little break paid off.  The flavors had melded to make a tasty dip, and I finally came to terms with the fact that I had created a dip rather than a dressing.  If anyone has a good recipe for green goddess dressing, please send it my way!  The quest continues...

Although my creation was far from the creamy, green dressing I was trying for (maybe a spin in the food processor would have helped?), this is a pretty solid dip.  It's great for dunking fresh green beans in or as a spiced up alternative to sour cream on baked or boiled potatoes.  It also works nicely dolloped on chilled, roasted beets.  

I wasn't too precise with my measurements, so these are all estimates.  Feel free to tweak the ingredients to your liking.  

Green Goddess Dip

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup chives

1/4 cup tarragon

2 anchovies (optional)

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper

Note: Unless you're having a party or feeding a family of 10, I recommend halving this recipe. 

Start out with roughly 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup mayo.

Finely chop or press a clove of garlic.

I started with a small bunch of chives, but I ended up using at least twice this amount.  

Same goes for the tarragon.  I probably used twice this amount.  I don't think I'd ever used fresh tarragon before making this dip.  At first the smell reminded me of the grass my friend Manda and I would eat out of our neighbor's yard, but once I started chopping it up it reminded me more of fennel or anise.  A lot of recipes I found for green goddess dressing call for tarragon vinegar, which I might try next time.  

Finely chop the herbs.

Next come the anchovies.  

Chop the little guys into the smallest pieces you can get them.  The smaller the better.  I got a big bite of anchovy last night, and my taste for anchovies has not developed enough to have made that a tolerable experience.  If you're really terrified by anchovies, just leave them out.  It's not a deal breaker.  

Squeeze about half a lemon into the mix as well as a little bit of cider vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Give it all a stir, and add more chives or salt or pepper or lemon juice or whatever until you're content.  Then cover it and let it hang out in the fridge for an hour or overnight.  

I think the potato-topping use is probably my favorite so far.  Enjoy!