Slam Dunk Crudités
I count myself very lucky: I live a short walk from our Mercat Central. In the summer months the are a multitude of fresh crisp vegetables that are just crying out to be eaten raw. Get your crudités to take a dip. What follows are some of the lucky dips that I like to serve with crudités or nice bread … or anything you like really.
Mutabal or baba ganoush? You could also call it melitzanosalata, abagannuc, or patlican ezmesi. However you call it this smoky aubergine dip is the king of the mezze. In Arabic, Baba means daddy and ganoush, cuddly… sounds about right. Remember that when you eat aubergine, you eat B1, B3, B6, copper, iron, maganese, and potassium – delicious.
Take a Dip
Minted Pea & Yoghurt
200ml Greek style yoghurt
a handful of fresh mint leaves
2 handfuls of peas – fresh or frozen
a handful of finely grated Parmesan
½ an organic lemon; juice and grated zest
freshly ground black pepper
Himalayan pink salt
Feta & Pimiento Piquillo
200g feta cheese
200g jar pimiento piquillo
No seasoning required!
Mutabal/ Baba Ganoush
2 large aubergine; flame roasted
2 large garlic cloves; crushed
2 tbsp tahini
juice of 1 small organic lemon + a good grating of zest
freshly ground black pepper
Himalayan pink salt
Pomegranate molases (optional)
Instructions
For the Minted Pea & Yoghurt dip, put all – except the salt and pepper – in a blender or food processor and blitz to a purée. As handfuls depend on the size of your hands, adjust the quantities accordingly to taste. Season to taste, adding more lemon juice if desired.
For the Feta & Pimiento Piquillo dip, put the 2 ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz to a puree. Simple as that.
For the Mutabal/ Baba Ganoush, place each aubergine directly over a low flame on a gas hob – if you don’t have a gas hob, you could use a BBQ or roast them in a hot oven. Once the aubergines is soft and charred all, place them in a covered bowl and leave to cool. When you can safely handle the charred aubergines, cut them lengthways and, using a tablespoon, scoop out the smoky flesh and transfer it to a second bowl. To the flesh add the remaining ingredients (except the salt and pepper) and mash to a purée – I use a potato masher, you could also use a blender. Season to taste and finish with a little drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate molasses, if using – you could also add a little chopped mint or flat parsley.
JAMx