Homemade Catalina Dressing

Hi Kids! 

So, I was really hoping to have a pretty block to show you this morning, but that isn't going to happen. First, because it isn't morning around here anymore, and second my block didn't work. It is really pretty, though all the important points are going to get cut off if I trim it to the 12.5" that it should be. I'm hoping to get a quick nap in after I finish this post, so maybe after that my frustration will have eased and it won't hurt me so much to rip it all up. 

So instead of the block, how about some salad dressing? Anyone? 

I always have the best of intentions about making homemade salad dressing since it has to be so much better for you than the stuff from the store. But, I always forget until about 5 minutes before supper when I'm setting the table. So I hang my head in shame and get out the Hidden Valley Ranch instead. 

The other day during lunch I was glancing through my shelves of cookbooks looking for something to read when I remembered this gem:

I'm pretty sure I ordered it from a garden seed company a few years ago, but here is a link to it on Amazon. The recipes are organized by type of vegetable which are in chronological order based on when they are harvested. So basically the first recipes are for asparagus and peas since those are pretty much the first things harvested out of the garden. There are also interesting interviews with gardeners and growing tips for each vegetable. I haven't made too many things out of it yet, but I hope to use it more in the coming months when our garden starts producing again. 

In the chapter devoted to salad greens, I found several interesting recipes for dressings, but the one we made the other night was her Catalina dressing which was fabulous. I only very slightly modified the recipe, so I'll give you the original and add my modifications.

Catalina Dressing

source: Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

3 TB red wine vinegar

2 TB olive oil

2 TB finely chopped onion

2 TB sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced 

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve at once or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Yields 1 1/4 cups

**The only thing I changed was to only use 1 clove of garlic instead of two. I really like garlic, but I thought one was plenty. And, I didn't process it in the blender because I'm lazy. I just put it in a mason jar and shook it up. Much easier to clean.

*Of course I am linking up to Tuesdays at the Table with my friend Debbie*