Summer Bowl with Green Goddess Dressing

I love the story of Green Goddess Dressing - how the dressing was first made at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco as a tribute to the play "Green Goddess". It typically is made from a base of mayonnaise and sour cream, then gets its green tint from the green herbs which are blended into the dressing: chervil, chives, and tarragon. There's just a hint of saltiness from anchovy and a bit of a bite from lemon juice. I've changed things up, just a bit, and use this as a sauce over a bowl full of summertime vegetables with some brown rice. Just the thing for a warm end of summer night. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets

1 cup kale, thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

10 grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, sliced

for the dressing: 

1/4 cup ranch dressing (I used Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Dressing)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh chervil (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped chives (optional)

1 Tbs lemon juice

toppings:

2 Tbs pistachios

2 green onions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts cut into 1/2 inch lengths

Directions: 

Add the rice, water, and salt to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Or, cook the rice in a rice maker. Add several cups of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, and cook until al dente, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain the broccoli and run under cool water to stop the cooking process, then set aside. Make the dressing by mixing the ranch dressing with the herbs. You may use a blender to get a pretty green color, or just mix them together for a more rustic looking, speckled dressing. Make two bowls by scooping some of the rice onto each bowl. Then divide the green beans, snap peas, cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado between the bowls. Drizzle some of the dressing on top of each bowl, topping with pistachios and green onions. 

Serves 2

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Imagine my surprise when I added the photo and found that I had used broccoli and kale when my own original recipe called for green beans and sugar snap peas! I always say to use whatever vegetables you have on hand!