Cucumber Ranch Salad Dressing

This salad is from Janis, another one of those great recipes that I've been holding and forgetting to post - I came across the photo which led me to wonder why I didn't share before now (oh wait, I know - because I HAVE A TERRIBLE MEMORY!).

The colors of this salad are conveniently Christmasy so it's perfect to make this month (who am I fooling - it's a light fresh salad perfect for all year round - I just said Christmas to make it seem like I'm posting because of the colors and not to cover for my memory LOL). The addition of grated cucumbers and chopped herbs really adds a lot of flavor and texture - hope you'll try it!

BUTTER LETTUCE WITH CUCUMBER RANCH DRESSING

& CHERRY TOMATOES

2 heads butter or Boston Lettuce

1 box cherry or grape tomatoes

CUCUMBER RANCH DRESSING:

Makes 2 ¼ cups

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and grated on the large holes of a box grater

1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Lemon zest (optional)

1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives (optional)

Stir together cucumber, shallot, sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, parsley and chives in a medium bowl.  Season with additional salt and cayenne.  Dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Tear the leaves of the lettuce and add to a bowl with the tomatoes.  Add about ½ cup of the dressing until all of the leaves are lightly coated.

Serves 6