August 12, 2013
Hello from upstate New York! We are here visiting family and are right next to the thousand islands—so, it’s only fitting to share this great little recipe for thousand island dressing.
In reality, this version is probably more Santa Barbara than Adirondacks– I’ve yet to see a cornichon pickles in the fridge up here, but you can find cornichons at Trader Joe’s and they add such great flavor it’s worth trying something new over the usual pickle.
With all the lettuce and tomatoes taking over the garden, this dressing is a fresh and tasty twist to our nightly salads. Our favorite however, is to serve a bun-less burger over the greens and then top with a dollop of the dressing. I’ve listed out my directions for assembling below the recipe. Served with a side of red Burgundy you are good to go—whether you are entertaining friends or lounging on the sofa with the remote and your significant other (notice the order of importance in that line up).
Serves one full-size salad or 4 burgers
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons Dijon
6 cornichon pickles minced
1 shake of Tabasco sauce (optional)
Mix, serve.
Bun-less Burger Assembly
To assemble the bun-less burger, start with some fresh romaine or other lettuce. Here, I used a handful of romaine leaves from the garden. Using my usual wash and dry technique, I store the lettuce in a damp kitchen towel until ready to use.
Slice your tomatoes in quarters or half and place them in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and some cracked pepper — this brings out the flavors of the tomatoes. They can sit at room temperature for up to 45 minutes.
Grill your burgers and have the cheese slices nearby to place on top at the end of grilling time.
While the burger cooks, stack lettuce on the plates. Spoon some of the dressing on the top of the lettuce, and then place the burger on the leaves. Add another dollop on the top. Then spoon the tomatoes on the side and it’s ready to go. This is also delicious with lamb!
