When it comes to celebrating the bounty of summer fruit and veg, there are few better ways to do it than serve them raw with a proper dip
This week I'm taking a dip, as is my wont on balmy, summer days. I'm not talking about a headfirst plunge into choppy waters ? though I'll be doing that, too, for sure. I'm thinking of the kitchen dip ? a mixological blending of seasonal goodies and tempting spices to produce the altogether gentler, less bracing and tastier proposition of the dips you serve with sticks and slices of raw veg and fruit. Together, they're a colourful, crunchy, delicious way to coax yourself and your friends towards dinner, or ? on very hot, languid evenings ? they can even make a light supper on their own.
At this time of year, when the garden is bursting with gorgeous produce, I seize every chance I can get to gorge on fruit and veg in their raw, or near-raw, state. And gorge you can ? today's recipes open the door to gluttony in its most saintly form. The dip, of course, is the friend to the crudit�, and if both are in top nick, you're in for a feast.
But I understand if the word dip makes you a bit jumpy. Dips have had a bad rap over the years. For many, they conjure up images of student parties when all it took for a good time was a few boxes of wine, some six-packs of beer, bags of crisps and a selection of dips in little plastic compartments. Acidic salsas, suspiciously gloopy avocado mush and mysterious combinations of cheap grated cheese, sour cream and dusty flecks of dried herbs may have lined the stomach, but they did little to excite the palate.
I hope today's recipes help drag the poor, maligned dip out of the bedsit and on to the dinner table or picnic blanket. There are few quicker, tastier ways of serving fresh fruits and vegetables. A bit of chopping, a quick stir or whizz in a blender and you're done. Better yet, they're the perfect food to share with friends, and kids love them. They're the best of summer eating, no sweat.
Bagna cauda
This Piedmontese dip ? the name means "hot dip" ? is traditionally served in winter with earthy veg such as cardoons, cabbage and jerusalem artichokes, but I like its deeply savoury combination of anchovies, garlic, butter and olive oil with summer veg, too. Serves four to six.
200ml extra-virgin olive oil
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
12 anchovy fillets, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Celery, chicory leaves, fennel, cauliflower florets, peppers ? any crisp vegetables, really ? and chunks of good white, country-style bread
In a medium saucepan, very gently heat the oil and butter until the butter has just melted ? don't let it bubble. Add the garlic and let it cook for a couple of minutes ? you're poaching rather than frying it, so don't let it take on any colour. Add the anchovies and stir, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon, until they've melted into the sauce. Poach very gently for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time and keeping a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get too hot. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the bagna cauda into a fondue pot or heatproof dish that you can set over a table burner. Or just put it on the table in its cooking pot, as this will retain its heat for a while. Serve with the vegetables and chunks of bread.
Cannellini bean and pine nut dip (V)
This creamy dip is very good with summer veg, and also makes a great bruschetta topping. Serves four.
20g fresh white breadcrumbs
4 tbsp whole milk
60g pine nuts
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, or 200g dried beans, soaked overnight, simmered for an hour or so until tender, then drained
60g yoghurt (or sour cream)
1 small garlic clove, minced
� tsp cayenne pepper
� tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped oregano, plus a few small leaves for garnishing
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Radishes, carrots, celery, peppers, leaves of chicory, chunks of good white bread
Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and trickle over the milk. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm a pan over a medium heat, add the pine nuts and toast, rattling the pan from time to time, until just turning golden. Tip the pine nuts into a food processor, keeping back a tablespoon for garnish.
Add the breadcrumbs, beans, yoghurt, garlic, cayenne, paprika and oregano to the food processor, and pulse until not quite smooth ? you want this dip to have a bit of texture. Season to taste, cover and chill for an hour or so for the flavours to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving in a bowl with the rest of the pine nuts and oregano leaves sprinkled on the top and finished with a trickle of olive oil.
Spinach and parmesan dip
You can serve this with vegetables and/or crostini, or even stirred into hot pasta. Serves four to six.
600g baby spinach
200ml sour cream
60g finely grated parmesan
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
A few gratings of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the spinach and put it in a pan over a medium heat ? the moisture clinging to the leaves should be enough to wilt it. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring once or twice, until just wilted. Tip it into a colander, refresh under the cold tap to stop it cooking further, then place it in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess water. Put the cooked spinach on a chopping board and chop roughly, then put it into a bowl along with the sour cream, parmesan, garlic and nutmeg. Season well and give it a good stir to combine.
Yoghurt, dill and caper dip (V)
This quick, tangy dip is great with all kinds of summer veg. Serves four.
200g thick Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
Finely grated zest of � small lemon
A generous squeeze of lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
To serve
Radishes, carrots, celery, peppers, chicory leaves
Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl and stir to blend. Season to taste (remember, capers are quite salty) and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Trickle the oil over the top and serve with the vegetables.
Ricotta and honey dip
Serve this as an easy pudding after an informal summer dinner, or as a delicious breakfast. Serves four.
1 vanilla pod
200g ricotta
50g thick Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp runny honey, plus a little extra for trickling over at the end
To serve
Strawberries, sliced peaches or nectarines, or any favourite fruit
Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds with the point of a small, sharp knife (save the pod and put it in a jar with some sugar to make vanilla sugar, or use it to infuse custard). Put the vanilla seeds in a bowl or a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and beat or pulse together until well combined. Scrape into a bowl and trickle a little more honey over the top. Serve with the fruit on the side.
Raspberry dip
This has got to be one of the simplest dips you can make ? and one of the most delicious. To turn it into a creamy dip, stir in some thick Greek yoghurt. Serves three to four.
500g raspberries
2 tbsp icing sugar, plus a little more to taste
Juice of � orange
To serve
Slices of nectarines and peaches
Whizz the raspberries, icing sugar and orange juice in a blender until smooth, then pass through a sieve to remove the pips. Taste, and add a little more icing sugar to sweeten, if you like.
Learn new skills on River Cottage's four-day cookery courses; go to rivercottage.net for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment