Warm Tuscan White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip
I pick up a cooking class at ICE now and again. One of the chefs mentioned that classes like “The Tuscan Steakhouse” immediately sell out. It’s the word “Tuscan” — strikes a chord with those packed into our 13×2 island. Some vineyards and rolling hills for our subways and concrete. Here’s a white bean dip that theoretically could have been made in/near Tuscany at some point in human history:
The Prep:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups simmered soft cannellini beans, or 2 drained cans (no judgments on this one)
- 1 big head garlic and a bit of olive oil
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary and a few of fresh thyme, bundled with butcher twine
Execution:
Oven to 375°. Slice the top off the garlic to expose the flesh of most of the cloves. Drop into a ramekin, drizzle with a bit of olive oil (not the cup), cover with foil and roast for an hour or so. Meanwhile, over low flame, cup of olive oil into a saucepan with the fresh herbs. Once it sizzles for a bit, off heat. Let sit for a while, then discard herbs (they did their job). Now get the processor. Beans, zest and some S&P in. Grab that head of garlic and squeeze those roasted cloves right in there. Hit it with the processor while drizzling in the herbed oil until smooths out, you may not need all the oil. Taste, add more S&P if needed. Before service, heat up in the nuke or oven. Garnish with a throw of fresh thyme.
The Takeaway:
Did you see what I did there? No bacon, no butter, no animal products at all. A hearty, warm, vegetarian and yes — [ahem] vegan dish. We don’t really use the “v” words much here at GHT. So don’t get used to it. (FR and DJP, I’m looking at you.)
p.s. Superbowl next week. Let’s think about some wings…
