Green Goddess Dip with Greek Yogurt

How could one not be totally, hopelessly in love with a concoction made of fresh herbs, crushed garlic, a hint of mustard, a base note of savory anchovy (which no one will be able to place, if you fear anchovy) and, in this case, a creamy base of greek yogurt and mayonnaise.  How could one possibly not love Green Goddess.  You'll notice I'm using periods, not question marks, so you won't be confused about the rhetorical nature of my questions.  Because the answer is, if you try this version, you'll love it.

And there could be no better time for a resurrection of this Belle Époque dip (or dressing) than this moment, when the Green Goddess herself is just beginning to spill forth all of her summer vegetables.  I once saw a program in which Alice Waters wandered around a farmers market, plucking produce from stand after stand, based on what was the freshest and most beautiful.  At the end of it all, she made a plate of crudités, a plate on which this dressing would be most welcome.  The kind of bright, tangy note that takes vegetables at the peak of their perfection into another stratosphere, maybe even into the realm of the gods (although, just to avoid confusion, the dip was named in tribute for a play The Green Goddess, not for a celestial earth mother).  

Like all good things, this dip improves with a little age.  So make it the day before you plan on serving it, to allow the flavors to develop. 

Green Goddess

Slightly adopted from Lari Robling's Endangered Recipes

1 cup fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 scallion, cut into 1" pieces

2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy past (or more to taste)

1 cup mayonnaise (I used reduced fat)

1 cup sour cream (or greek yogurt, which I used, and the fat free kind, to boot)

In a food processor, process together the first 6 ingredients.  Add the mayonnaise and greek yogurt and process until well blended.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Notes:

* I didn't have tarragon vinegar, so I used white wine vinegar and some chopped fresh tarragon, which I happened to have on hand.

*  This dip could also benefit from a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but really, what couldn't.