Creamy Buttermilk Dressing

This recipe uses a combination of full-fat cottage cheese pureed with buttermilk to get its creaminess instead of using mayonnaise. It was fresh and tasty. This dressing would work well with one of my favorite quick and light summertime meals of grilled chicken sliced over a cold salad. I made it when I was receiving an exorbitant amount of lettuce varieties in my CSA share. 😉

The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by chef Eli Dahlin of Dame in Portland, Oregon. I used fresh CSA parsley instead of tarragon. I also increased the amount of minced shallots.

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot
, minced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon or parsley
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium head of red leaf lettuce, torn
• 2 heads of Boston lettuce, torn (or any other combination of lettuce)
• sliced or cut tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, or other vegetables, for topping, as desired
• crumbled feta cheese, for topping, optional

1. In a blender, puree the buttermilk with the cottage cheese, vinegar, Dijon and 
shallot until smooth.
2. Scrape the dressing into a small bowl or jar and stir (or shake) in the chopped herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In a serving bowl, toss the lettuces with some of the dressing and assorted toppings.

Note: The dressing can be refrigerated overnight.

One Year Ago:

• Pasta Salad with Peas & Summer Beans

Two Years Ago:

• Watermelon-Tequila Cooler

Three Years Ago:

• Raw Baby Red Kale Salad with Chili & Pecorino
• Grilled Radicchio

Four Years Ago:

• Perfect Coleslaw
• Catalan Tomato Bread

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

The sad news is that my search is over for the perfect macaroni and cheese. 😉 This version was incredible. It’s easy to prepare, the pasta is even incorporated uncooked, and I was able to assemble it in advance and refrigerate it for a couple of hours prior to baking as well.  I also loved that it had dry mustard and cottage cheese in its creamy filling. The golden-brown crispy crust on the top was just the icing on the cake.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Julia Moskin. I used DeCecco cavatappi instead of elbows (so much more fun) and decreased the amount of butter (slightly). We enjoyed it as part of my husband’s extravagant birthday feast! Absolutely delicious.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings   Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

• 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup cottage cheese (not low-fat)
• 2 cups milk (not skim)(I used whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used my favorite Cabot Classic Vermont 3-year Cheddar)
• ½ pound cavatappi or elbow pasta, uncooked

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection, and position an oven rack in upper third of oven.
2. Use scant 1/2 tablespoon of butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan. (I used a deep 8-inch round ceramic soufflé dish.)
3. In a blender or Vitamix, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.
4. Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta.
5. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. (I put the assembled, covered dish in the refrigerator for several hours prior to baking.)
6. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter.
7. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

One Year Ago:

• Super Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

Two Years Ago:

• Margherita Pizza 24-hour Crust
• Perfect Pizza Sauce #2
• 24-hour Pizza Dough

Three Years Ago:

• Fresh Fettuccini with Peas, Garlic, & Ricotta Salata
• Fresh Whole Wheat-Egg Pasta Dough