I have to admit that I only had ranch dressing from a bottle, and even that only a few times. But my daughter, Lauren, loves it, and I thought it would be great to have a homemade version. If you want to use it as a salad dressing, simply add more buttermilk until it reaches the desired consistency.

Makes 1½ cups.

½ cup sour cream or Yogurt Cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup finely diced or grated red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir until well combined.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving and up to 8 hours.

Serve with steamed tiny new potatoes still in their jackets.

From Party Dips! 50 Zippy, Zesty, Spicy, Savory, Tasty, Tempting Dips (The Harvard Common Press, 2004)