Sour Cream Deserves a Crown!

By Alice Osborne

Holy cow, where did MAY go? And now here comes June, and along with it, National Dairy Month. Growing up in Washington State, I was always envious of the gals that were crowned as our local Dairy Queens and Princesses--what must it have been like, having access to all that ice cream? But that's another story...

Anyway, I do love dairy products--butter and cream especially. But there's another dairy royalty we should talk about: SOUR cream. There are so many things you can do with this versatile food that it deserves a crown. So in honor of June and sour cream in particular, read on:

Enjoy berries coated in sour cream and dipped in brown sugar.

Combine a jar of picante sauce and a container of sour cream for a zesty dip.

Blend with bottled salad dressing to make a richer, creamier topping.

Add 1 cup of sour cream (as part of the liquid ingredients) to cake batters to produce a moist, fluffy cake.

Mix sour cream with a packet of ranch dressing mix to make a great tasting dip for chips and vegetables.

Keep your guacamole dish looking tasty by spreading a thick layer of sour cream over it and covering with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, mix sour cream into the guacamole for a rich, smooth dip. Daisy Sour Cream will help keep air out and help keep the dip from turning brown.

Try substituting sour cream in place of mayonnaise, yogurt, buttermilk, or cream cheese in deviled eggs, casseroles and desserts.

Jazz up grilled chicken or pork with a sour cream sauce using Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream.

For a quick, homemade Russian dressing, combine 1/2 cup of sour cream 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 cup of ketchup, crushed garlic, and hot sauce for flavoring. Spoon over mixed greens.

To make sour cream a thinner, pourable consistency, give it a good stir. The more you stir, the thinner it will become.

ALICE'S idea: Make "Sloppy Chicken" by slow cooking shredded chicken breasts in a jar of salsa (hotness to your taste). When chicken is cooked, mix sour cream with cream cheese and add to chicken-salsa mixture. Ladle this over cooked rice. Divine!