The class of 1976 of Stephen Decatur High School had arranged a casual gathering this fall to connect with classmates. Our moments together on this gorgeous September weekend were memorable, engaging and full of laughter. We were definitely blessed to share these moments which brought smiles as we remembered our past and shared our life experiences since our graduation. An abundance of food was prepared and enjoyed; the men brought the meat and the women brought the sides. I prepped the salad along with the requested dressings. Learning how to make my own dressings, rather than buying bottled that was made who knows how long ago and with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, has resulted in some amazing creations. This weekend, however, I needed investigate how to make some Creamy French Dressing from scratch. Most of the ingredients are either in my fridge or pantry.
Now before I delve into how you can make this yourself, let me tell you a little bit about our venue for this event. The Germantown School Community Heritage Center was a Rosenwald School which was built at a time to improve the quality of education for the African-American communities. Eleven such schools were erected within Worcester County among the thousands that were built across the United States from 1912 to 1932. This one originally had two classrooms; one for grades 1-3 and the other for grades 4-7. Heated by pot bellied stoves, it served the community until 1962 when it was no longer needed.
You can follow the link below to find out more about this historic site.
http://www.thegermantownschool.org/
Now let’s return to the recipe at hand. Blend together everything but the oils in a small food processor or a similar device. My preference is to use smoked paprika, but you could use regular sweet paprika. The contrast of smoky with the sweet base develops an amazing flavor combination. Oil is added in steps and blended after each addition. Half of the olive oil is added and blended in. The remaining canola oil and olive oil are added in separately and blended after each individual addition.
The end result of drizzling this Creamy French Dressing over a salad of fresh greens, tomatoes and other seasonal veggies that you could find at your local farmer’s market will delight your taste buds! However, if this dressing isn’t your favorite, check out the possibilities; Caesar Salad, Honey Mustard, Ranch Dressing, Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 c ketchup
- 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
- 1 t Worcestershire sauce
- 1 t smoked paprika(preferred)
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1/3 c finely chopped sweet onion
- 1/2 t minced garlic
- 1/2 t Kosher salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 c canola oil
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients EXCEPT the oils in a small food processor or similar device.
- Add in 1/4 cup of the olive oil, then blend.
- Add the canola oil, then blend.
- Finally, blend in the remaining olive oil and continue to blend until smooth and creamy.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld.
- Keep unused portion refrigerated for up to a week.
