Invented at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the 1920’s, this creamy dressing was created in honor of actor George Arliss, who was appearing in the stage play entitled The Green Goddess. The original recipe consisted of mayonnaise, anchovies, vinegar, green onions, and herbs. In this modern update, we have included avocado to enrich its silky texture and enhance the lovely green color. This dressing is best made one day in advance to allow the flavors to meld together. It is delicious over crisp salad greens, tomatoes, or chilled seafood, and is also a lovely dip for crudités.

Dressing:

• 1/2 medium ripe avocado*, peeled, pitted and cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (low-fat is fine)
• 2 green onions, ends trimmed, green and white parts finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon, or chervil
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste**, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
• 2 to 3 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
• 1 tablespoon water, or more if needed
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 1 large or 2 medium heads butter lettuce (enough for 4 cups of bite-size lettuce pieces)
• 2 ears fresh white or yellow corn, in the husks
• 4 medium radishes, ends trimmed and soaked in ice water for at least 10 minutes
• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

For the Dressing:
Place the avocado, sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, garlic, herbs and anchovy paste in the bowl of a mini-food processor; process until smooth.

With the processor running, add the vinegar and hot pepper sauce, process to mix, then add water to thin the dressing as needed. (Note: For crudités dip, adding water may be unnecessary.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and additional hot pepper sauce if desired, cover tightly and refrigerate until needed.

For the Salad:
Wash, dry, and crisp the lettuce; refrigerate until needed. ***

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Trim both ends of the corn, but leave the husks and silks intact.

Place the corn in the oven and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the husks and silks. (Note: Wipe the corn with a slightly damp paper towel to remove all the silks.) Leave to cool completely.

While the corn is cooling, thinly slice the radishes. You should have approximately 1/2 cup. Cut the kernels from the cob using a sharp knife. Discard the cobs, and reserve the corn kernels.

Choose four whole, well-shaped outer lettuce leaves and set them aside. Cut the remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces.

Toss the lettuce pieces, roasted corn kernels, radishes and red onions in a medium mixing bowl.

Line each salad plate with a whole lettuce leaf. Divide the salad mixture evenly between the plates.

Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning as needed. Lightly drizzle some of the dressing over each salad and serve immediately. Pass any remaining dressing at the table. For a buffet presentation, line a chilled medium platter with whole lettuce leaves, mound the salad mixture in the center and serve the dressing on the side.

Tips and Techniques
* Note: Reserve the remaining half of avocado for another use. Brush the cut surface of the avocado half with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use within one to 2 days.
** Note: Anchovy paste is available in finer grocery stores and gourmet stores. If unavailable, whole anchovy fillets may be minced to a paste; 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste is the equivalent of 1 anchovy fillet. Anchovy fillets packed in oil need simply to be drained, then minced. Anchovy fillets packed in salt should be thoroughly rinsed and dried before mincing.
*** To Crisp Greens: All lettuces and leafy greens should be soaked briefly in a large basin of water. Lift the greens out of the water, shake off the excess, and dry in a salad spinner (in batches, if necessary). To crisp, wrap the greens in paper or linen towels (to absorb the remaining moisture); place in a plastic bag, and store in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. If the greens are to be torn or cut into smaller pieces, it is best done just before the salad is dressed and served. The greens will stay crisp for up to two days.

Serves 4