Summer Greens With Basil-Buttermilk Dressing and Raspberries

The cover of the Tri-City Herald's Food & Wine section Aug. 19 will feature five ways to enjoy lean, green refreshing cucumbers. Inside you'll find more recipes plus buying, cooking and health tips on a variety of food-related subjects.

Summer Greens With Basil-Buttermilk Dressing and Raspberries

This recipe makes enough dressing for leftovers. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Whisk to recombine before serving.

Ingredients

1 large egg

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1/2 cup vegetable oil

About 10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped ( 1/4 cup packed)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 English (seedless) cucumber, peeled if desired

4 cups salad greens, washed and dried

8 ounces raspberries, washed

Instructions

Combine the egg and mustard in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and then the basil; mix to form an emulsion. Add the white wine vinegar, then the buttermilk; mix well. Transfer to a serving container and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, have ready individual chilled salad plates.

Cut the cucumber crosswise into 1/8-inch slices, then use them to arrange in an overlapping circle on each plate, creating a center area. Fill each of those spaces with equal portions of salad greens; drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing, then garnish with the raspberries.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Per serving (with 2 tablespoons dressing): 181 calories, 6 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 649 milligrams sodium, 9 grams dietary fiber, 6 grams sugar

Adapted from: Simply Bishop's: Easy Seasonal Recipes by John Bishop and Dennis Green (Douglas and McIntyre, 2009).