My brownstone apartment in NYC was south-facing, which meant that it was sunny and bright throughout the year, even during the short days of winter.  I took advantage of this to have my own little window sill garden in the city.  At one point, though, the herbs were more like a jungle – they liked the sun and plant food a little too much and I was too busy to prune them back.  Fortunately, my roommates didn’t seem to mind.

I just recently purchased a basil plant and was inspired to make an avocado based basil salad dressing, something akin to the dressing used for one of J’s favorite salads at Trader Joe’s – a chopped field greens salad with chicken, Israeli couscous, and a basil vinaigrette.

The avocado herb dressing is quite versatile, and can be adjusted to the preferred consistency – left a little thicker, it would be a great dip.  Made a little thinner w/ additional olive oil and/or lemon juice, it makes a luscious salad dressing that goes well with kale salads, radishes, and other bold greens.

Avocado Herb Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup avocado, cubed
• 3.5 oz Fage plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large garlic clove clove, smashed
• 2 tbl chopped scallions
• 2 tbl chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup packed basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ~2.5 tbl ponzu, or 1 tbl white wine vinegar + 1.5 tbl lemon juice
• 4-5 tbl good olive oil
• 1.5 tbl honey
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper
• red chili pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor or small blender and process until smooth.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  If dressing is too thick, add water in small amounts to thin dressing to desired consistency.

Dress salad and enjoy!