Beet Skordalia + Variations: Greek Almond and Sweet Potato Dips

There is nothing better than a friend calling me up to come over, taste some amazing dip, dissect and recreate them ... oh yeah, and bring the kids and she will feed and watch them while I play in the kitchen with the ingredients that she bought. DREAM COME TRUE!

Needless to say, I wasted no time and was over the next day. She bought three skordalia dips from the farmers' market. They were super delicious but super expensive. We are all for supporting our local businesses but at one point we need to be practical and make things ourselves if we can. One dip original, one was beet and the other chipotle. They were all delicious! By the time I left her house I was so full from taste testing and adding a pinch of this and a dash of that, but it was worth it! We got all three dips down to what we thought was perfect.

I am currently on beet overload. I have pickled them, froze them, added them to my smoothies for breakfast, beet ice cream, beet cupcakes, we've had them for dinner for the past two weeks and have been living off of this dip during the day. I am about 32% beet as I type this!

I still equally the love the other flavors, but until I use some of these fresh garden beets I have, I won't be making the other flavors as much. If you've hung out with me in the past month, there's a good chance I've served this to you and many have asked for the recipe so I had to showcase the glorious beet!

I love harvest time! On a side note, my garden is doing terrible, but I am soaking up what my family and friends are sharing with me. Thank you everyone! I guess it's to be expected with a July baby ... it's not my fault (ha ha ha).

Beet Skordalia

Makes 2 cups

1 c blanched almonds
1 cup beets, chopped
1/2 c sweet potato, chopped
3/4 c olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c lemon juice
3 T basil
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven for 375 degrees F. Bake beets until they are soft. 

In a pot of boiling water, potatoes until they are soft. Drain.

In a food processor, add all ingredients together and puree until smooth. It should be the consistency of hummus. Enjoy!!!

Sorry, not pictures of these right now ... but enjoy them just the same. They are yum yum yum! Happy Harvest all!!

Plain Skordalia

1 c blancbed almonds
1/2 c sweet potatoes, chopped and cooked
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c olive oil
1 T basil
1/2 t salt
2 garlic cloves

Chipotle and Pepita Skordalia

1 c pepitas
1/2 c alomds
1/3 c sweet potatoes, shopped and cooked
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c olive oil
1 clove garlic
3/4 t salt
1/2 chipotle pepper, I use canned ... adjust according to your heat liking.

Roasted Parsnip and Horseradish Dip

This past two weeks I got some great parsnips from my CSA. I have made soup, I have done fries. I really wanted a dip to snack on. I did a quick google search for parsnip dip and all I could find was parsnip hummus. Sounded good, but a bit flat for my tastebuds that day. Hmmm ... what could I put in my parsnip dip to really tantalize my tastebuds ... horseradish!

Lately, I have had a serious horseradish obsession. I will base an entire meal simply around horseradish being the main flavor. All of my sandwiches have vegenaise and horseradish on them. All of my dips are cheesy horseradish or mustard, dill and horseradish. I have even done horseradish for my pizza sauce (amazing with a little lemony roasted eggplant and pine nuts by the way). There are no limits to what I won't do with a little horseradish... well, I haven't had it with chocolate and ice cream yet, but I'm sure that idea is out there! Until then, parsnips and horseradish make a perfect pairing in my book!

The most painful thing about this dip is it was exactly what I wanted, but it was the last of my parsnips. I really wanted to take a picture so I could share the recipe with you guys, but Paul and I really really really wanted to eat it! So, what happened? Bad, dark pictures, Paul and I got to devour the dip and you get the share in the fun of my recipe creation. I hope you like it as much as we did and sorry for the bad pictures!

And if any of you have a secret horseradish recipe up your sleeve ... please, share it!

Roasted Parsnip and Horseradish Dip

Makes 1 cup

1 lb parsnips
1/2 T olive oil

1/4 c olive oil
1 T prepared horseradish
2 t tahini
2 t lemon juice
1 t garlic powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Preheat oven for 415º.

Peel and trim parsnips. Cut into 1 inch pieces so they are all about the same size. Toss. with the first listed olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

In a bowl, add all ingredients. Puree with your hand blender or use a food processor if needed. Add more olive oil to get the consistency that you like. Also, add more horseradish if you want it a little spicier. From brand to brand, it's hard to tell the 'heat' of the horseradish that you're going to get!

Serve right away if you like it a little warm or refrigerate until cooled and serve.

My CSA is Here!

It's official, vegetables season is in full swing. Not only did I get my garden planted but today, I got my first CSA basket! I opted for an early share so it's a little smaller than the usual basket that I will be getting once the CSA is ready but it's awesome to start getting some über-fresh vegetables.

Here's everything that was in my bin ... not bad for $20! Did I mention that these are all local and organic? I know, amazing! Try finding that at your local supermarket for that price.

• Asparagus
• Tokyo Bekana
• Hakurei Turnips
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli Raab
• Arugula

And don't say, "What are those vegetables ... I would never use them!" As we know, simply Google the vegetable and you'll not only find out what it is, but also amazing recipes to use them. My CSA actually likes sending different recipes for people who may not know how to use their vegetables. Last year I had do idea what a hakurei turnip was and now I love them. I was so excited for those to show up in the basket. It was like Christmas!

Many CSAs are still taking members now, but don't wait much longer or they will all be filled. I know the price may be a little daunting at first, but once you divide it out by the weeks that you're getting you'll be surprised at the actual cost of what you are getting.

To find more about the benefits of a joining a CSA, check out my CSA page or find CSA near you at localharvest.org. You’ll be surprised at all the options you have right in your own backyard!