Sometime last fall I placed an order with a website for some cookbooks. I had a nice coupon to use, found several books I’d like to have and placed my order. And then I waited. And waited, and waited. Finally, a month went by and I finally e-mailed customer service to inquire about my order. They apologized for not e-mailing me my tracking information and then forwarded me all the shipping info. According to that, all items had been shipped and delivered… to our old address. As this had happened weeks before, there was no real recourse other than to file a complaint with Paypal. I was easily given my money back that I’d paid for the order because it was clear the website was in the wrong in using an old address, versus the one that I’d both updated, and the one I paid through when I used my Paypal account. I thought that was the end of things, and was just happy to have the funds back in my bank account, though part of me wished I had still gotten the books.
Well, lo and behold, literally MONTHS later, a mysterious package shows up at our door. The day it showed up happened to be Christmas Eve. I stared at that box, at the return address, and honestly, I was struck speechless. I certainly had not place another order with this company. Could this box actually be holding the cookbooks I’d ordered three months ago and never received? I tucked the box under the Christmas tree and opened it up Christmas morning with the rest of the gifts. Indeed, it was my missing books- minus one, as it was no longer available. It was so fun to go through these cookbooks one by one. In the end, the company really did the right thing and tried to make things right. I suspect my e-mails got lost somewhere along the line, and when they were found again, the person in charge decided to send me the books anyway. I appreciate that, especially since I’d been refunded- this stack of books were now completely free to me.
ANYWAY, long story there to share how I came to be in possession of a cookbook called DIY Pantry by Kresha Faber. I love making as much as possible from scratch, so this book sounded like a good resource to have on hand. Some of the things in it don’t make sense for me- homemade butter, for example. As I don’t have a cow, and cream is pricey, it’s certainly not worth making my own butter when I live in the dairy state and have my choice of excellent local butters all around. But there are some good recipes in this book so far. The ones I’ve tried have been lovely, and today the recipe I’m sharing is for homemade Ranch Dressing Mix.
I know we’ve all done it- bought a packet of ranch dressing mix to use as a seasoning for something other than dressing. I’ve seen it used in dips, crumb coatings, meatloaves, salmon patties, and so many other things! But there are things in that packet that are really not good for you, so making my own seems like a good idea. Alas, the best Ranch Dressing I’ve ever had is made from fresh herbs in the middle of summer. I can’t replicate that in a shelf-stable version to be pulled out as needed. But my own dry mix on hand to do what I want? That I can do! Simple dried herbs mixed together and stored in a canning jar can be used to make dressing, dip, or be used anywhere that packet of mix is called for.
The dill called for in this recipe is definitely not traditional to a ranch mix, but I have to tell you that we love the addition. The batch I made up today I used some dried celery in place of the dill as I discovered I was out, and I’m finding that a lovely addition as well. Feel free to play with other additions, but the key ingredients are the garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley and salt and pepper. Beyond that, whatever tickles your fancy would be a great addition to the mix.
This is a shelf-stable mixture that is very nice to have on hand!
Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup dried parsley flakes 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons onion powder 2 tablespoons dried dill (or other herb of your choice) 2 teaspoons salt pinch of freshly ground black pepperDirections:
Mix ingredients well and store in a sealed container for 6-12 months. Shake well before each use.
For Ranch Dip: Mix 1 tablespoon of the mix with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 cup sour cream.
For Ranch Dressing: Mix 1 tablespoon of the mix with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup buttermilk.
I add dried chives to mine in addition to the dill. For dressing I use buttermilk and some mayo to thicken. It’s also good mixed up with cream cheese for a spread on a wrap or crackers. Thanks for the proportions since I usually taste and see!