blue cheese dressing

Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm often embarrassed to admit that there are a few main-stream ingredients I tend to steer clear of... olives are included in that list.

I have a thing for olives in things... like olive tappenade on my grilled tuna or a good muffaletta sandwich, but all alone, gah- I just don't know, too salty? too strong? who knows?

Blue cheese is another one of those things... that is, until I made my own blue cheese dressing. Turns out I'm not a bad foodie, just a total food snob. Once I mashed up some Roquefort with some quality sour cream, half-and-half, and little else, I was more than pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this dressing.

You know, this isn't rocket science here, I just mixed together a few things, then seasoned to taste and added half-and-half to a consistency I liked, but it seemed like something more when dotted on top my homegrown (and somehow overly sweet) tomatoes. It was the perfect accompaniment. I wanted... more, can you believe it?

Like I tried to say, this is simple stuff, and totally worth the effort. Obviously, adjust amounts to preference. If you have no use for this much, cut in it half or quarter it. Making your own blue cheese dressing is super quick and, I think, tastes so much better than most of that jarred stuff. How could you not make your own? Simply put, this is just another example of how homemade really can make a huge difference.

blue cheese dressing

4 oz. blue cheese (roquefort)
1/4 c sour cream (low-fat or regular)
1/4 c half-and-half, heavy cream, or buttermilk
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper

In a small bowl, crush blue cheese with fork until crumbled. Mix in sour cream, half-and-half, chives, vinegar, and black pepper. Add a little extra vinegar or lemon juice for added tang, if desired. If dressing is too thick, stir in a little more half-and-half. Refrigerate until ready to serve.