For most of my life, I thought salad dressing came from a bottle at the grocery store. I clipped coupons for ranch, poppy seed, or Newman’s—never imagining I’d make my own. Then, one day, my middle child and only daughter Lydia changed everything.
She was over, and we were making food together—always a balm to my mama’s heart. In no time, she whipped up a fantastic fresh salad dressing. I was incredulous. “Isn’t that too hard to do?” I asked. Mind you, I already knew better. Back when we were both employees at 116 Market in Luther, she was in the kitchen, scratch-making everything—including the dressings I proudly bragged about to hungry guests. And yet, somehow, I never thought to make it at home.
That day in the kitchen, Lyd assured me it was a can-do for me. She was right. When our family went rural while she was little, quick trips to the grocery store for just one ingredient became out of the question. My shopping lists and meal planning improved over time, but more importantly, we all learned to improvise. No buttermilk? No problem—grab the vinegar to mix in the milk. No milk? Use the dried stuff. Out of onion or garlic from the garden? Call Stan to stop at the store on his way home. (And to those of you who run far away from onions—I see you grimacing. That is not me! Give me all the strong flavors. The weird ones, too.)
Lydia taught me how to use pantry staples–olive oil, a fancy vinegar (or fresh lemon), herbs (including ground sumac or diced purslane), and a couple of fantastic products I keep stocked from Luther Pecan Festival vendors—seasoning blends and honey—I can make salad dressing. Our salad game is next level now, and we’re on an ongoing quest to make healthier food choices!
I also learned that a $4, $5, or $6 bottle of salad dressing (with or without a coupon) has no place on my grocery list anymore when I can use ingredients I already have—without extra calories and unknown additives.
Lydia is currently the Director of Food Services at Pivot in Oklahoma City and also operates the fabulous social enterprise, Pivot Preserves, which offers job training and retails delicious jam. I didn’t ask if she’d share her jam recipes—but I did ask about her salad dressing. She said, “Sure, shug.”
Lydia’s Go-To Salad Dressing
“It’s something like this because I don’t use measurements.”
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1-2 Tablespoons of your favorite mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- A few splashes of your favorite vinegar (I do white wine, red wine, or apple cider)
- Lots of black pepper
- Salt to taste
- About ¼-ish cup olive oil
Put it all in a jar, put on a tight lid, shake, and shake again before serving. Use it on your salad. Bonus: it’s also a great coating for roasted vegetables or as a chicken marinade.
That got me thinking—who else out there is using local ingredients in creative ways? Have you experimented with sumac, purslane, goldenrod, or epazote? Morel season is coming… and while I won’t ask you to reveal your secret spots (unless you whisper them to me), I’d love to read a Community Voices column about foraging in these parts. Also, you don’t want to hear from me in this column every week, but I will fill in the gaps.
Pantry Favorites from Luther Pecan Festival vendors
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five-star must-have local products to elevate your cooking and eating game. These are highly recommended for seasonings, honey, freshly roasted coffee, sourdough bread, cocktail simple syrups, and more.
- Flavor Junkie’s Honey Garlic Seasoning or All Ya Need
- Orton’s House Seasoning
- Chi-Okie Hot Sauce
- Cody’s Honey Farm
- Good Grub With Grace
- LivFARMLife
- Newalla Bee Company
- Wiley One Sauce
- Pivot Preserves
- Route 66 Bake Shop
- Scrummy Munch
- Big R Coffee Company
Have a recipe, story, memory or favorite foraging tip to share? Community Voices is for you—whether it’s a recipe, a book review, a poem, or a reflection. Send in your piece, and let’s keep this space filled with stories from all of us.
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