Dandy dips and salads
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
There is so much to do once school is out!
This weekend is the St. Dionysis Greek Festival in Overland Park, or, closer to home, the Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City and the Toad Hollow Art in the Garden tour.
There is a special pre-Symphony in the Flint Hills event in Cottonwood Falls June 13. A catered gourmet dinner with live music will be held on the newly restored, historic Cottonwood River bridge just north of town. It’s a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce in Chase County, and tickets are going very quickly. If you’d like to listen to the Ireland & Brown string trio, sip a glass of something tasty, feast on shaved prime rib on croissant, fruit kabobs, Mediterranean pasta, and a “Death by Chocolate” dessert while watching the lovely waterfall from the bridge, then call 620-273-8469 right now. Now, I tell you!
However, if you’d like to just stay home and have some friends over for a nosh, here are some locally produced, tried-and-true dip and salad recipes to serve.
It’s so nice on a hot evening to have a chilly, crunchy dip for your chips! One of our new people at the Gazette, Brenda Armitage, brought an incredible dip to one of our monthly pot lucks, and it was a big hit. I’ve made it three times since, and never had any leftovers.
Now, Andy (my sweetheart), refuses to let even one black-eyed pea touch his tongue--not even on New Year’s Day--so I made this with black beans, which must be rinsed well or they’ll turn the whole dish gray. I halved the recipe since it was just the two of us, and a few weeks later I doubled it with no ill results. You can adjust as you like, but the pickled jalapenos really make it special.
BRENDA’S ZESTY
VEGGIE DIP
2 cans of black-eyed peas, drained
2 cans white shoepeg corn, drained
1 large bell pepper
2 bunches green onions
2 large avocados
1 small jar pickled jalapenos
1/4 - 1/2 cup Zesty Italian style salad dressing.
Thoroughly drain the peas and corn. Dice the bell pepper and chop the white parts of the onions. Chop the avocado into bite size pieces and chop up half of the jar of jalapenos. Use as many or as few jalapenos as you like for taste.
Toss everything together in a large bowl, and add just enough salad dressing to make a nice dip--as little as 1/4 cup. Brenda also drizzles a little of the juice from the jalapenos into this to perk it up. Serve chilled with corn chips (Scoops are perfect!) and make a day ahead if you can to allow the flavors to marry. Serves a family and probably a few friends too!
New Gazetteer Carolyn Rhoads brought this in and wouldn’t take credit for it since it belongs to Lori Dreiling. It’s creamy and delicious, even when made with reduced fat dairy products. Just keep it cool to prevent the mayo spoiling.
LORI’S MOZZARELLA DIP
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. dried minced onions
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
Mix everything together, chill overnight and serve with chips or crackers. You could probably use the leftovers (if any) to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
Color and crunch always make me feel like I’ve had a special meal, even if the individual ingredients are mundane. The red in the radishes and apples, paired with the green of the cucumbers and dill is very pretty. Inexpensive jicama adds more crunch, fiber and volume to make this an economical side dish or lunch.
JICAMA, APPLE AND RADISH SALAD
2 tsp. sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup sour cream
8 red radishes, thinly sliced
2 Red Delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together the sugar, lemon juice and sour cream in a medium bowl. Toss with the radishes, apples, cucumber and jicama. Season with dill, salt, and pepper, toss again, and serve. This recipe makes two individual salads.
For something with a little more heft to it, but still refreshing, try going Italian this summer. The cured meat and sturdy cheese hold up to the heat. If you don’t like salami, try Canadian bacon or pepperoni. Use whatever lettuces you can get, but try to mix sweet and bitter.
ITALIAN
ANTIPASTO SALAD
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/2 head bibb lettuce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup canned red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
8 oz. salami, cubed
8 oz. Provolone, cubed
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 1 cup your favorite vinaigrette
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the beans, salami, cheese and tomatoes. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Oh my goodness, so much to do this summer! Mark your calendars for the Cook-Offs: the first one, pies, is June 21. I will also be teaching a trio of basic cooking classes through the Flint Hills Technical College this summer, beginning June 12. If you’d like hands-on experience in making tamales, egg rolls or vegetable sushi, give them a call.
Don’t forget to check the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays for the latest, freshest produce and homemade goods around. They open at 8 a.m. at 7th and Merchant. Local strawberries are coming in, and I’ve seen cherries in the stores. Your challenge for next week’s food fight is: BERRIES! What is your best berry recipe? Send it to me and I’ll tell the world about it. That address is murphysmenu@yahoo.com, or 517 Merchant, Emporia. Let’s get cooking!