Some foods evoke strong memories and this recipe is one of them.  It is one my mother made for every party we ever had, most holidays and something she would often take to a potluck.  It is a decadent, calorie-laden dip or salad dressing – but is a great counterpoint for healthy vegetables or salad greens.  I made this in honor of my dad on Father’s Day.  It was surely one of his favorite things.  Truth be told, he probably liked plain blue cheese more than the dip  – but he loved the dip too.  Each of my sisters and I make this often as we still enjoy it for almost any occasion when we gather!

The flavors mellow the longer it sits and I find that it will become more runny after a few days.  I definitely put in too much lemon juice this time, but it was perfect on top of salad greens as a dressing – just a little sloppy as a dip with the vegetables.  I, like my dad, like strong blue cheese so a good quality cheese is better than a mass produced one.  If you like it lighter then a less expensive cheese will do just fine.

I normally like shallots in this recipe – but I used red onion this last time because I had some on hand.  It gave off a stronger onion flavor but it was still very good.  The salt and pepper are a personal preference.  My dad always loved lots of salt and pepper. I now only purhase Hellman’s Mayonaise made with olive oil.  I do not notice any difference in the flavor of the dressing and it’s just a little bit better for you.

I really have no idea where my mom got the original recipe.  But she submitted it to the Pymatuning Yacht Club Galley Gourmet cookbook that was published in 1982.  I still use that cookbook today with fond memories of my parents and the families at PYC.

Bleu Cheese Dip – or salad dressing

Serves 8 to 12 as a salad dressing
Makes about 2 cups as a dip

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 clove crushed garlic

3 Tbs. minced onion, chives or shallot

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmans’ with olive oil)

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Refrigerate at least four hours before serving

Notes

This will keep in your fridge for several weeks.  We often double the recipe if we are serving at a party.

Recipe first printed as submitted by my mom, Joan Cotton in the PYC Galley Gourmet Cookbook, c. 1982