Cilantro Ranch Dressing

All of my winter plantings decided to bolt within a few weeks of each other.  First to go was the cilantro, as usual.  I don't mind that as much, since I save the seeds for coriander.  The lettuce and arugula were annoying.  I hardly got any leaves out of the arugula this year.  Even the dwarf kale decided it had had enough after a year.

So, salad.  Several salads.  And one fell during Passover, when commercial dressings are rare and expensive.  I did have all the ingredients for Ranch in KLP form, and decided to make it with cilantro as the primary herb.

Most of the recipes for cilantro ranch that I read were Mexican-themed with lime and jalapeños.  There's nothing wrong with that, but I was in the mood for something more Mediterranean flavored.  I chose lemon and mint as the counterpoints, with a faint touch of cumin for tang.  I was leaning toward a cilantro-infused tzatziki flavor.

1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 C buttermilk
*1/2 C cilantro leaves
* 2 Tb fresh mint leaves
1/4 C fresh parsley or 1 Tb parsley flakes
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp cumin
1 Tb lemon juice
2 tsp dry onion flakes or 2 Tb fresh green onion

1.  Place all ingredients in the food processor.  Run until fully incorporated.  Because I was using powdered buttermilk, I mixed it up first and added the water after as a thinning agent.

2.  Chill until ready to use.  This dressing will firm up in the fridge, so don't worry if it seems watery.  It will also taste better if the flavors are allowed to meld for a day.

Makes 1 cup

Difficulty rating  π