Yes, I know. There is just something terribly ordinary about ranch dressing. So call me “ord” for short. Unlike some people’s incorrect perception of my culinary tastes, I am a devoted fan of ordinary food. Really fabulous ordinary food you realize, but still common and easily prepared or obtained.  I love burgers and mac and cheese and almost anything homemade. I’m actually uncomfortable in a restaurant when the entrée is over $30. I do dine at fancy restaurants, albeit infrequently, but only for special occasions. Then, while eating the “whatever”, I entertain myself by analyzing the cost of the ingredients in the dish or dishes I am eating. (And yes, I do consider the time it took to prepare the dish.) With few exceptions, I usually find that what we patrons are actually paying for is the bragging right. “We dined at Le Rip-Off Bistro last evening. It was marvelous, simply marvelous!”

If the food is actually amazing, I can forgive the price tag. Well at least a little bit. But if the food is mediocre, it not only depresses me; it makes me mad! Now, how fun is that? So I am usually better off dining at a restaurant where the food is good, but the term gourmet would never enter my head. So, having shared with you more than you ever wanted to know about me, let’s get on with this recipe.

The other evening, all I wanted as a side dish was a simple romaine and tomato salad with ranch dressing. So I proceeded with a basic recipe I had found in Sunset about 100 years ago, and added a couple of my own touches. The dressing turned out really, really good. Then we had our good buddies Jim and Margo over for dinner a couple nights ago, and I served the leftover dressing as a dip for crudité. (Just thought I’d use the cool French word for cut veggies just to prove I’m not totally lacking in culinary prowess! Don’t want to lose my gourmet fans after all!)

Anyway, enough blather. Just give this recipe a try. Use it as a dip or a salad dressing. Your choice. And if the mixture is a little too thick for the style of salad dressing you prefer, add a tiny bit more milk.

• ½ c. sour cream (I use Mexican style)
• 1/3 c. buttermilk (I use Bulgarian style)
• 1 T. mayonnaise (I use Best Foods light)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. chopped dried chives, opt.
• ¼ tsp. seasoned salt, or more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small jar; whisk until combined. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.