Artichoke dip

 Artichoke Dip

Makes 1 kg 

Serves 20 people as a dip

Some days, one wonders why all cooking is not that simple!

While preparing a buffet dinner party for a good friend, I had an empty spot that was calling for a quick dip.  I spotted feta and grilled artichokes while rummaging through the fridge, perfect to prepare a dip.

I mixed it to a textured pulp in a food processor using only the pulse button. It was finished with a drizzle of the herby olive oil in which the artichokes had been kept.

Such goodness is to be celebrated.

Served with tortilla chips, the bowl was wiped clean after it was praised to the heavens. 

The saltiness of the feta required no additional salt. The tanginess of the grilled artichokes balanced the saltiness, and the hint of sweetness in the olive oil rounded it up both in texture and flavour.

500 g grilled artichokes in herb and oil

500g Feta

 

Tips

I used Roussas Greek Feta, which is a traditional feta produced from pasteurised sheep and goat’s milk and is a tasty, flavorful cheese. Its maximum moisture content was 56%, and its minimum fat content was 24%.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

 

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Vegetarian Parsi, inspired by tradition is an award winning cookbook. It was published by Spenta Multimedia India and is available on Amazon India and through email order at thevegetarianparsi@gmail.com.

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Artichoke Dip

Artichoke Dip

Summer brings fresh vegetables that you can enjoy any day of the week. Here is a simple artichoke dip with fresh asparagus ( lightly steamed ). If you want to get adventurous, use this dip to coat fresh pasta, adding your three favourite ingredients like mushrooms, smoked meat, and asparagus to make it into a meal.

Fresh summer Asparagus with an Artichoke dip.

Makes 4 cups

In a food processor add

2 cans of Artichokes, drained
A large handful of fresh parsley
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of freshly ground chilli pepper
a pinch of sugar
Fresh zest of the lemon and the juice of one lemon

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino, pravolone, parmesan, asiago, or other similar cheese of choice

With the machine turned on, pour good virgin olive oil in a gentle stream until the mixture has a thick texture. (approximately 1 cup).

Optionally, add it in with a spoon.

It's delicious with a chopped pickled walnut.

Tips

This dip is superb on the base of a pizza, served up with special cheese crackers and with an egg and potato salad. It also pairs well with blistered shishito or padron peppers.

It stays well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Do not overpower the dip with cheese. The taste of the artichoke needs to stand out.

If you prefer to use the bottled variety, you may need to adjust the salt and lemon.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photo courtesy
Niloufer Mavalvala