*Please disregard the last post that went out (wicked good lobster rolls) - it was a computer mishap!  I will be doing a lobster roll post this summer. Thanks! Sue

Creating salad dressings, dips, and spreads from scratch is one of the easiest ways to move to a healthier, whole-foods based diet. Of course, when I say healthy, I’m not counting calories. The picture above does note scream “eating light,” but it does offer one thing that bottled dressings do not - pronouncability.

Most commercially-made bottled dressings and spreads contain a host of stabilizers that extend shelf life and allow cream-based dressings to go unrefrigerated. In my opinion, if it takes chemists and food scientists to create a product that defies nature, it’s probably best not to go there.

Putting the whole foods factor aside, home-made dressings also beat out bottled commercial options in the taste category. Not only do the limited amount of ingredients allow a from-scratch dressing to shine, but it also allows you to create dressings that fit your palate (whether that means a bit more acidic, sweeter, or in this case, ultra-creamy).

a bit about blue cheese

Whenever I have a question concerning cheese I always consult Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials - it’s a great text to have on hand, especially for creating diverse cheese plates for entertaining. In Cheese Essentials, Werlin dedicates over twenty pages to blue cheese, including how blue cheeses are made, tasting notes, top American producers, and a few delicious recipes. Here is a brief recap based on Werlin’s notes:

• There are many types of blue cheese, including creamy styles such as Cambozola, more crumbly styles such as Roquefort and Gorgonzola, and firm styles like stilton.
• The mold strain that is added to blue cheese was originally derived from moldy bread, and creates a blueish-green veins throughout the cheese.
• Although the flavor profile differs from one cheese to the next, blue cheeses commonly are musty, salty cheeses that bring notes of bacon, nuts, and black pepper.

Here’s a quick list of my favorite American blue cheeses that Werlin also notes:

• Bailey Hazen Blue, Jasper Hill Farm (Vermont)
• Point Reyes Blue (California)
• Crater Lake Blue, Rogue River Creamery (Oregon)

If you buy a high quality, artisanal cheese such as the one listed above, you’ll be amazed by the nuances in taste and texture - and you won’t want to waste it on a blue cheese dressing or spread recipe (although I have splurged and it is delicious). Instead, I often buy a large block of a good quality blue cheese or Gorgonzola. Lately I’ve been picking up a big block of BelGioso at Costco, which is free of growth hormones. The one thing I can’t get behind is pre-crumbled blue cheese; I have really found that the flavor is lacking and I don’t think it gets any easier than crumbling a block of blue cheese.

blue cheese dressing/spread - recipe notes

• When making my own dressings and spreads at home, I have found that a blender and food processor makes life much easier (especially for vinaigrette). For a blue cheese dressing I like to use a food processor because the added width of the bowl is helpful.
• I think there are two keys to making dressings. The first is practice; it really takes time to develop the awareness for correct ratios and techniques. The other is to taste, taste, taste, and always ask yourself if it is balanced or what it still needs. As you do this more and more it will become second nature.
• The nice thing about making your own blue cheese dressing is that you can determine the thickness. I like to go a bit thin and creamy for a salad dressing, and a bit thicker and chunkier for a dip or spread.
• There are a ton of different recipes for blue cheese dressing and I’ve included mine and some other options below - some use buttermilk, others a base of sour cream and mayonnaise. The nice thing about it is that you can pretty much whip a batch up using the contents of your fridge and pantry.

blue cheese dressing

(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

• 1 shallot or 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (for a homemade mayo, click here)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup blue cheese
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• water to thin

In the bowl of a food processor add the shallot, red wine vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, and olive oil. Pulse to combine. Crumble in the blue cheese and pulse again. For a rougher consistency and more chunks, only pulse a couple of times; for a creamier texture, pulse until the chunks dissolve. Taste the dressing for balance - at this point you can season with a bit of salt and pepper, but go gently because of the saltiness of the blue cheese.

To get the dressing to the consistency you would like, add a bit of water into your 1/4 cup measure and slowly drizzle it in, stirring to combine. It doesn’t take much water to thin out the dressing - you can always make it thinner but it’s tough to add more body.

I date the dressing and let it hang out in the refrigerator for about five days. You can add the dressing to roast potatoes, dress salads, serve as a dip, spread on a burger - the options are really endless and I rarely have leftovers that have to be thrown out after five days.

more blue cheese dressing recipes from cyberspace:

Smitten Kitchen: Iceberg Wedge with Blue Cheese

Food & Wine: David Burke’s Spicy Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Martha Stewart: Blue Cheese Dressing

Barefoot Contessa: Green Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Tagged as: dressings & spreads

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