Honey-Dijon Dressing

I learned in France that my Welsh-Cornish-Irish husband is really French.*

For one thing, he drives like a Frenchman. Hairpin turns, treacherous mountain roads, busy roundabouts, clogged city streets — pft! No problem! Vroom! Vroom! He's in his element.

And he's got the Mustard Gene. We both do, but I come by it naturally.

We like all kinds of mustard. French mustard. French’s mustard. American mustard with obscure "gourmet" labels.

Grainy mustard. Mustard with nuts, courtesy of a blogger friend who somehow divined our fetish.

Honey Dijon. Grey Poupon (pardon me!). Mustard with horseradish. Mustard with cranberries. Hot mustard. Mild mustard. Brown mustard. Yellow mustard. Cognac mustard.

Oh, and mustard jars. I once bought a huge brown crock, not shown above (there was no room), because I liked the jar and the cute French guy named Louis who was selling it (grist for another post). It took me two years to eat it all; there was, quite literally, enough mustard there to slather on three month's worth of bread for the entire French Foreign Legion.

There are very few savory dishes a dab of mustard does not enhance. An herby mustard sauce is great on vegetables. And you cannot make deviled eggs without mustard. It adds a "tangy zip" no mere salad dressing can compete with.

I knew my husband liked mustard long ago. He was always buying it, just like I was. It was when I saw him behind the wheel in France that I put two and two together and came up with French.

The other day Terry B. from Blue Kitchen asked about dressing. Below is one of my favorites, given to me by a chef-friend who father was also a chef and of my own father's generation.

The chef who makes it did not give me the exact quantities, so I’ve kind of had to figure them out on my own. You may have to experiment, too. I often add a bit more of this and a bit more of that. Or sometimes I just mix it up and pray it works.

Honey Mustard Dressing for Tossed Salad

• 1/2-cup buttermilk
• 1/3-cup mayonnaise or tangy spread
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey-Dijon with seeds
• 2 teaspoons minced onion

Toss it in the blender, whisk it or use a beater.

This recipe should make enough for at least two salads. I usually make it fresh because it is so easy.

It is best showcased on a simple green salad with tomatoes, black olives, red onion and cucumber.

Note If you like mustard, too, you may also like the the world-famous Mustard Museum is located in Mount Horeb, Wis.

Internet sources for good mustard abound.

UPDATE: In 2013, both my husband and I had our DNA tests via 23-and-Me and Ancestry.com, respectively. He may well be more French than I am.