A Hint of Summertime

Fresh basil has an aroma that seems to lift the spirits. We love it in pesto, in so many salads, stewed vegetables and in my creamy basil dip. At this time of the year, we are fortunate to find basil in grocery stores. Using it in a dip brings a bit of sunshiny summertime to our cooler temps and often rainy climate. So, while it's not summertime anymore, we can enjoy a hint of summertime with my Creamy Basil Dip! Interested? Here's the recipe.

Back in 2018 (a long, long time ago) I had a Boarding School cooking class--how to design a charcuterie board, cheese board and a vegetable board. Today's recipe came from this class. Not long after my class, my friend Caroline tasted the dip and thought, to quote her, "...it was the best damn thing ever." High praise, indeed! She asked me for the recipe, I shared it and it's become a staple at all of her family gatherings. This is proof enough that it doesn't have to be something grand to feed and entertain family and friends.

Caroline says it's featured at all family events. "We literally never get together without someone making Despina's Dip. We take it to the beach, we make it for football gatherings and it's been featured at all graduation parties over the last few years," she reminded me. I am so honored! What's crazy is that I haven't made it in years! Caroline, you've encouraged me to get back to this basic but bright and delicious dip. Thank you!  This is the recipe.

Recently, she sent me videos of her family's appreciation. Thank you Tricia! Thanks JH and Bill-Bill!

This recipe can be made in a small food processor or in a bowl with a whisk. Use what you have. I find that the natural cup shape of a red pepper or radicchio leaves make a lovely dip bowl. You can also put the dip in a small bowl and set it on the radicchio leaf or leaves. It makes for a lovely presentation.

The vegetables can be anything that you like. I love the haricots verts that you can find packaged in most grocery stores. They look so elegant. I never use baby carrots unless they are real baby carrots. The ones in the store have a chemical taste, and they are adult/large carrots that have been whittled down and sprayed with a solution to preserve them. Just peel a couple of large carrots and cut them into batons (sticks). Message me and I'll show you how. And speaking of batons, zucchini and yellow squash look lovely in that shape. Remove the seeds first. I love fennel and find that it pairs well with this dip; so do peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and celery. Believe it or not, hard-boiled eggs (halved) and radishes pair nicely, and boiled baby spuds (all colors). Use your imagination. You can even parboil the vegetables if you wish.

You can even parboil the veggies

Caroline's Version

Lovely Caroline