| simple summer lunch |

As I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed last night, a recipe a friend posted caught my eye. Everything this friend eats is delicious, so I clicked on through.

BASIL BUTTERMILK DRESSING

1 small garlic clove

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk (note: I never have buttermilk so I just do the lemon juice trick)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife.

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, basil, and garlic paste in a small bowl. Chill, covered, 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.

Feeling optimistic, I whipped up a double-recipe. I threw some new potatoes into a pot of boiling salted water while I worked. When the potatoes and dressing were done, I chopped up a couple tomatoes and a cucumber. I put the tomoates and cukes on the plate with a little torn, fresh mozzerella. Then I poured a healthy dose of the dressing over it all. I put the steaming potatoes into a bowl and hit those with dressing, too.

I never knew that the primary flavors in ranch dressing were garlic and basil. Learn something new every day, hey?

As I sat down to eat, I realized that every single thing on my plate except the milk, mayo, mozzerella, and salt came from a farmer within 50 miles of me. That felt pretty good.

Then I took a bite. That felt pretty good, too.

When you have awesome ingredients, you really don't even need to know how to cook. It all just happens.