Kelly Rossiter
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It's so great at this time of year to call up a couple of friends on a Saturday afternoon and sit outside on the patio with a little something to eat and a glass of wine. Or maybe you have weekend guests and want to serve a light dish on the dock to hold you between lunch and dinner. There are an endless number of things you can make quickly, with little fuss. As with the Walnut Mushroom Pate and Walnut Hummus recipes I gave you over last couple of weeks, this one is vegan.
Although the asparagus crop is still going pretty strong here in Ontario, I'm reading on websites and blogs that in many places in the U.S. the asparagus is just about done. This is the perfect opportunity to use up the asparagus that isn't quite so tender or gorgeous as it was a month ago. I used the ox-eye daisy capers that I had left over from my big dinner party last month. The brine isn't as strong and they aren't as salty as regular capers, so I think that my dip wasn't as piquant as it might have been.
There's no need to keep this recipe as a dip. I used it today as a spread as part of a sandwich. Line a pita bread with it and add some chopped vegetables, or even a falafel. Grill some vegetables and spread it over top, either hot or at room temperature.
Asparagus Spinach Dip
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb asparagus, rough ends removed, cut into 2" lengths
1 lb spinach, washed well, stems removed, chopped coarsely
1/3 cup water
1 cup cashews
3 tbsp capers, with brine
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add garlic, sauteeing for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the asparagus and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green. Lower the heat to medium.
- Add spinach in batches, letting the leaves wilt so that there is room in the pan for more. Once all the spinach has been added, cook for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the cashews, capers, salt and pepper into a food processor until the cashews are small, coarse crumbs.
- When the spinach is done cooking, add to the food processor and puree until relatively smooth. Add the lemon juice, adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and chill for at least an hour.
From Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
Difficulty Level: Easy
Related Items:
Walnut Mushroom Pate
Walnut Hummus
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