Shalom Farm's Kefir Ranch Dressing

Here is a little picture of a part of one of our fields.  I thought it looked kind of "Ranchy".  :-)

My dear friend, Kim called me all excited and wanting to share a recipe with me that she had discovered.  You see, she is a homesteader too, learning everything as she goes with NO prior experience.   They have milk cows and their small family of four has more milk then they know what to do with...so she is getting really good at doing things with it!  I was SOO tickled that she shared it with me, because I have not (YET!!) perfected my homemade mayonnaise and organic mayo is too expensive/hard to get for my family, yet my homemade ranch recipe requires it.  However, we always have kifer going on the counter 24-7 year round...(IT"S SO EASY to do!) So my ears perked and I joined her in her excitement!  I married her recipe with mine and the recipe below was born.  It is easy to make, it contains all the goodness of being raw and lacto-fermented and it is DELICIOUS!  Enjoy!

Shalom Farm's Kefir Ranch


This recipe makes about 3 1/2 C of dressing. (1/2 C shy of a Qrt)  I am sure it keeps well because of the cultured aspect of it, but we go through it to quickly to know first hand!  This recipe has some "give" so make note of the variations.

In a blender (or bowl) put:


2C homemade kefir cheese
1C fresh milk or (homemade) buttermilk
1/8C (2T) olive oil

Add 2 tsp each of the following dried herbs:
dill
parsley
sea salt
chives
garlic powder
onion powder

(Optional - add 1tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne powder.  This adds a very nice dimension to your ranch!)

Blend (or whisk) until smooth and store in the refrigerator.  It will thicken as it gets cold.  If it is too thick for your liking,  pull out of the fridge early while preparing your meal or dilute slightly with fresh milk or buttermilk until it reaches the consistency you desire  .  If you would like it to be a little thicker for a dip, try coconut oil instead of olive oil or serve it right from the fridge.

*  This recipe assumes you are a garlic lover like me.  :-)  So some people might prefer to lesson the garlic amount to 1 1/2 tsp.  :-)



This recipe was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesdays, and the Homestead Barn Hop