Legend has it that Green Goddess dressing was created in the 1920s by the chef at the San Francisco’s Palace Hotel in honor of actor George Arliss, who was appearing in a play called Green Goddess. It is said that he requested that a dressing be named after him, but why this particular combination became Green Goddess is a mystery to me.

Thick, creamy, and slightly biting, Green Goddess is great on almost any green leaf or vegetable, but I especially like it on quarters of iceberg lettuce, cucumber cubes, tomatoes, and bacon; a salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and walnuts or pecans; and lightly steamed asparagus or artichokes. It’s also wonderful dolloped on grilled, broiled, or steamed fish, especially grilled tuna or salmon, and on grilled burgers.

Yield: about 1½ cups.

2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 anchovy fillets
3 scallions
1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
1½ teaspoons dried tarragon
¼ cup sour cream or full-fat plain yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper.

1. Place the garlic, anchovies, scallions, parsley, and tarragon in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and blend until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, and pepper, and mix by hand to combine. Transfer to a glass container, cover, and refrigerate up to 1 week. If the dressing separates, simple shake the container well.

From Warehouse to Your House: More than 250 Simple, Spectacular Recipes to Cook, Store, and Share When You Buy in Quantity (Simon & Schuster, 2006)