makes 2 servings

What if you find yourself with too-old olive oil or no olive oil? What if the vinegar is the distilled sort best saved for washing windows? Only have bright yellow squeeze-bottle mustard? When what was in the house was unusable bunk, we came up with bunkhouse: a tasty dressing that doesn’t rely on the usual staples. At first, we made it only when we were on vacation, unprepared and far from the comforts of our home pantry. Necessity has mothered invention and now we modify it to dress cucumbers, iceberg and romaine, boiled green beans, cauliflower, and more, at home or away. Be sure to use plain yogurt, and though canola or other vegetable oils work just fine, if you do have good olive oil, by all means use that.

1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste
¼ tsp. salt
Juice of ½ lemon or lime (about 1½ Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp. plain whole-milk yogurt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or olive oil

Mix the garlic, salt, lemon juice, and yogurt together in a small bowl. Add the oil slowly, stirring constantly to mix it well and keep the dressing from breaking — if it starts to separate, stir faster and pour slower.

Reprinted with permission from Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell.