SWEET AND SOUR DRESSING

When I was in college, a classmate who had a crush on me invited me home to visit with her family for the weekend. Terry was attractive and bright and her family had a swimming pool, a tennis court and a red, 1955 T Bird. Of course I went.

During the preparatoins for dinner, Terry's mother asked me to go down into the basement to get some of her bottled salad dressing, which I dutifully brought up into the kitchen. She said it had been sidtting for a while and needed to be shaken up. When I did this, the cork came out of the bottle and salad dressing went all over the kitchen floor. Was I embarrassed? You bet!

The girl didn't get me, but I got the recipe for the dressing. She's divorced now and the T Bird is long gone. I think I got the better, lasting part of the weekend!

PEGGY'S SWEET AND SOUR DRESSING

makes about 3 cups

1 C oil (unflavored is better but you can use olive oil if you wish; but it seems a waste)

1 C red wine vinegar

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C minced fresh chives

1/4 C minced celery

2 T minced green onion

2 T minced watercress

2 t dry mustard

1 T Worchestershire sauce

2 t salt

freshly ground black pepper to tase

Combine all ingredients and blend, in a blender. Bottle in jars. Shake (carefully!) before using. Lasts indefinitely.

To Make Ahead: this can all be made on some day when you want to cook, and stored in bottles until you're ready to use it. Once open, keep in the regrigerator.