Kosher Food and Drink

By: Daniel Bachrach

As someone who didn’t grow up keeping kosher, one of the biggest challenges of becoming observant has been missing out on foods that I used to love, but are … less than kosher. Finding ways to adapt recipes or recreate dishes to “hit the spot” as well as being kosher has become a fun hobby within a hobby for me. Lucky for us, with all the plant-based “dairy” and “meat” products on the market, it’s never been easier! In this series, “Kosher Treif,” our aim is to bring the unattainable to reach! We’ll bring new spins to classic dishes and touch on the dos and don’ts of “kosher treif” cooking.

Like most other Midwesterners, I love ranch. Of course ranch is great on salad, but as a dip it’s basically the ultimate sauce. What I don’t love is bottled ranch. Instead of a rich, creamy dressing with lots of herby flavor, all you get is sour. The reason for this, like so many other things, is mass production. When ranch was first bottled and sold in grocery stores, producers realized there was a big problem — the bottles were exploding! The buttermilk culture in the dressing was causing the pressure to build in the bottle until they burst, so acid was added to temper the culture and keep the bottles in the aisle in which they were originally stocked. Unfortunately, the result was a sauce that was no longer creamy and smooth, but overly tangy and sharp. 

My goal when I created this recipe was to make a ranch that was both smooth and full of flavor and, importantly, pareve. I wanted to be able to use this ranch to dress salads and dip vegetables, but also as a dip for buffalo wings and on burgers, too. At this point, the recipe is somewhere between a ranch dressing and a garlic-dill sauce, which is especially good for those people who don’t like ranch, but love garlic-dill sauce! 

NOTES:

• Probably the biggest strength of this sauce, aside from its versatility, is the customization possibilities. In the springtime, I love to add ramp bottoms and its minced leaves, summer allows for garlic scapes, and every now and then, I’ll throw in a shallot. As well, adjust the quantities to your liking. I love dill and use an entire bunch, but if that’s too much for you, pare it back. Make the ranch yours!
• Another point of caution is on the quantity of the garlic. I love garlic. But more than one large clove of raw garlic can be overpowering, especially when microplaned. If you want to up the garlic flavor try adding an extra scallion, which is similar enough in flavor profile, but won’t overpower the recipe.  
• This recipe is seasoned with salt, pepper, and MSG, all to taste. Of course, the MSG is optional, however I will say that it makes a difference and the sauce might not seem “right” without it.
• As for using fresh dill, here is the handy CRC dill checking policy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 11.5 oz. of mayonnaise
• 1 bunch dill
• 2 green onions
• 1 large clove of garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Small pinch of MSG
• Oat Milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)

INSSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put mayonnaise in medium mixing bowl and set aside
2. Trim stems from dill bunch. I usually cut right above the twist tie holding the bunch together. Discard any large, fibrous stems from bunch
3. Mince dill until very fine, set aside
4. Separate green onion whites and greens, slice lengthwise and mince
5. Combine minced dill and green onion and run knife through a couple times, add to mixing bowl with mayonnaise
6. Grate garlic clove into the sauce mixture, if you don’t have a microplane you can mince very fine
7. Whisk ingredients until well combined
8. Add seasonings and whisk
9. Add oat milk, whisking as you go, until desired consistency, mixture will thicken up in the refrigerator