Cuisine Eric

There is nothing like a fresh salsa to beat the heat and I am especially partial to the green salsa verde. Made with sweet and tart tomatillos, jalapeño peppers and onion, and flavored with garlic, cilantro and lime, it is a summer favorite around this house. 7 tomatillos, husked 1/2 white onion, cut in thirds 1 jalapeño pepper 1 red Fresno pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 small head cilantro, most stems cut off 1/4 tsp salt Zest of 1 lime Juice of same 1 lime Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot.   Drop in the tomatillos and cook for about 2-1/2 minutes.   Then drop in the onion and peppers and cook another 2-1/2 minutes. The tomatillos should have turned a slightly paler green. Drain the veggies and cut the stems off the peppers.   Pop veggies into a large blender.   Add the garlic, cilantro and salt.   Blend to a thick and chunky consistency to taste.   Don’t overblend or you’ll simply have a runny sauce which isn’t good for dipping chips into. Stir...

Making hummus is so incredibly easy - not sure why I'd ever buy it again. One of my favorites is with roasted red pepper 1 can chick peas, drained 2 Tbsp jarred roasted red pepper 2 Tbsp tahini paste juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp Kosher salt 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) a dash of water; 1-2 Tbsp as needed Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until very smooth.   Adjust consistency with water to desired consistency.   Tip into serving bowl and garnish with a little bit more roasted red pepper, if desired. Serve with whatever dip-able chip or veggie you like.

I know I'll have some sort of wings for the Superbowl game, and I love a good blue cheese dip to go alongside.  Get your inner game chef going and work out this great dip. 4 oz blue cheese, crumbed 1 green onion finely minced, divided in half 8 oz sour cream 1/4 cup good real mayonnaise 1/4 cup Greek yogurt 1 clove garlic minced through a press 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish, slightly drained 1/4 tsp dried dill weed dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste Reserve a few crumbles of blue cheese for garnish - set aside.   Set half the green onion aside.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl.    Tip into a serving bowl. Garnish with reserved blue cheese, green onions and some crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with celery and carrots or pita chips if desired. Makes just under 2 cups dip.

Here's a festive dip good enough for celebrations like New Year's. Richly flavored with cilantro, garlic, spices and lemon, it is a cousin to a Green Goddess dip. Serve with your favorite crackers and crudités. Chimichurri: palmful cilantro, chopped palmful Italian parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved dash crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp cumin powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp cup olive oil 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (or other favorite) 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 cups cottage cheese about 2 Tbsp half-and-half (or light cream), as needed Blend together the Chimichurri ingredients in a small food processor to a smooth sauce.   Add the cottage cheese and blend to a thick dip.   Thin with a dash of light cream if necessary, until you achieve the dipping consistency you desire. Transfer to a serving bowl. Makes 2 cups.

Guacamole is a fantastic mash-up of avocados and so many other things.  First, get and manage nice avocados - that is the biggest trick; they should be just ripe.  Then manually mash with so many other ingredients - the better the avocado - the better the guacamole. 2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 clove garlic, pushed through a press 1 palmful fresh parsley, finely minced (you can use cilantro if your audience likes it - watch out for DNA differences) Juice of 1/2 lime (depending on juiciness - adjust accordingly) Gently fold all ingredients together and allow flavors to meld for about 20-30 minutes, in a cool place.   Makes a nice bowl of dip for chips and veggies.

OK, I thought I had seen everything delicious a fresh late summer tomato could do.  Until now. Think fresh salsa.  As expensive as it is in the market, and as easy as it is to make at home, there's no reason not to leverage those delicious juicy tomatoes that are still with us, with a fresh salsa.  Don't limit yourself to chips - this is also a great garnish for grilled chicken, fish or tofu. 2 large very ripe fresh tomatoes, finely diced 1/4 purple onion, finely diced, about 1/3 cup 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp powdered cumin 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (I used Bragg, could use Trader Joe’s) 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or favorite) 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, minced 1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (I used Greek basil), minced 1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced Toss together the ingredients in a medium bowl.   Allow to marinate 30-60 minutes, or as long as you can keep people away from it!   Ser...

Time for basil harvest.  This year I mix both regular basil with small leaf Greek basil - a new find at the nursery this year.  Greek basil is very aromatic and I'm using it in more and more dishes, fresh from the bush.   Here I amp up the basil with fresh mint - abundant as the basil in the herb garden this time of year. 1/4 cup walnuts 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled 4 cups slightly packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup olive oil 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Pulse the walnuts and garlic in a large food processor until you have a fine meal.   Add the basil and mint leaves and pulse 10-12 times until leaves begin to mince.  Add the oil and process until smooth. Remove basil mixture to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese. Makes about 1-1/2 cup pesto. Cook’s note:   I do not blanch my basil leaves beforehand.  If you do, dry the leaves in a salad spinner as best you can.  While bl...

A delicious vegetarian dressing or dip for veggies, fritters or salads. 1 tub silken tofu 2 tsp wasabi paste (or to taste) 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves palmful cilantro leaves (or parsley) Mix all ingredients into a blender.   Cover and blend until smooth. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

I made this dip for my brother and sister in-law's July 4th picnic at their SugarDay horse farm just outside Charlottesville Virginia.  A big hit, many people asked the recipe for.  Here it is. 16 oz sour cream 2 Tbsp best real mayonnaise 4 oz finely shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed and patted dry 1 green onion, diced 1 clove garlic, finely minced through a press 1 rounded Tbsp prepared horseradish 1/2 packet Lipton Onion Soup powder 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to meld for at least 30-60 minutes, in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving, and garnish with cayenne pepper and sliced green onion. Makes 16 ounces dip. SugarDay Farm