Veggie Dips!

Simple Dips for Fresh Spring Vegetables

Asparagus, leafy greens, and multicolored carrots and peppers are at their best at the height of Spring. Visit your local farmer’s market or shop local at your grocery store, then minimize prep and cook time with rustic knife cuts, raw (or at most 30-seconds-blanched) vegetables, and mostly quick-to-prepare dips like these:

Whipped feta dip (adapted from Serious Eats)

• 8 ounces (225 g) feta cheese
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (6 ounces; 170 g)
• 1-2 medium cloves garlic, minced (you can roast your garlic in foil for 10-15 min to make the flavor more caramelized and less aggressive)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Blend above ingredients in a blender or food processor, drizzling in the olive oil last. Garnish with more black pepper.

Easy homemade ranch dip (adapted from Love and Lemons)

• 1/2 cup sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk — or any milk
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Up to 1/4 cup fresh herbs – whatever is on hand (dill, chives, scallions, parsley, etc)

Whisk together all of the above ingredients, add more salt/pepper to taste, and serve with cut vegetables (or buffalo wings).

Roasted eggplant dip (adapted from Loving it Vegan)

• 2 large or 3 medium eggplants
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 465°F
2. Poke holes in the eggplants a few times with a fork and place onto a parchment lined baking tray. Bake whole in the oven for 45 minutes, until soft.
3. While the eggplant is baking, squeeze lemon juice into a bowl and then crush the garlic into the lemon juice. Let the garlic sit in the lemon juice for at least 15 minutes.
4. Remove the eggplants from the oven and let them cool on their baking sheet.
5. Once cooled, slice the eggplants in half and scrape the insides out into your blender or food processor.
6. To the cooked eggplant, add the lemon juice and crushed garlic, olive oil, tahini, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Process until smooth, adding additional salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chopped parsley. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and serve with cut vegetables and/or pita bread.