Lemon-Parsley Tahini Dip
I hope that you all had a very joyful Thanksgiving followed by a relaxing weekend with friends and family. Our Thanksgiving was all that and then some. After a fabulous meal that went into the wee hours, we hit the road on Friday morning and did a sweeping tour of New Jersey. With a Memorial Service for a much loved and admired member of my husband’s family (like a ball of fire, George Flinn has without a doubt embarked on yet another adventure) and the Bar Mitzvah of a college friend’s son–our travels certainly ran the gamut but the take home message from both was remarkably similar. That is…don’t wait for the big events of life to get together with those that you love but rather make-up reasons in between. The payoff for some moderate effort and planning is huge.
With that realization, I have my new year’s resolution locked and loaded at the onset of the holiday season. And speaking of this season of indulgence, I am going to go against the grain by kicking December off with a healthy recipe. This dip is the first thing that caught my attention in a new cookbook called “The Yellow Table” by Anna Watson Carl. For those of you that are familiar with the Anna’s blog by the same name, you will know her whole Kickstarter story. For those that don’t, I will quickly fill you in. Kickstarter is an online platform where entrepreneurs present their ideas and ask for pledges from those who would like to support them. Concepts run the gamut from technology to film (think Zach Braff’s “Wish I Was Here” which was funded by Kickstarter). If the entrepreneur meets their seed money goal, your pledge is “cashed” and in due time you will receive whatever had been promised for your commitment. If the goal is not met in the allotted time, you will not be charged and the entrepreneurs idea will not come to fruition. “The Yellow Table” cookbook was the first project that I supported. I liked Anna’s voice and I admired her ambition to publish a cookbook despite all obstacles. On my part, the risk was very small–if Anna reached her goal I could possibly have received a cookbook that was uninspiring–but I doubted that would be the case. My faith in her concept was certainly rewarded as I am anxious to cook my way through her recipes. Consider this my warning to you that more Yellow Table recipes will follow. And if you’d like to order a cookbook of your own, follow the link to her site, The Yellow Table.
Back to the recipe…Crudites with Lemon-Parsley Tahini Dip. The only thing that I will do differently next time is double it. As written, the recipe says it serves 4, and it was plenty for a platter of crudite at a recent happy hour, but I would have loved to have some leftover in my fridge to dip into in the days that followed. The tahini flavor is prevalent so I guess I will caution that if you don’t like tahini this dip might not be for you. If you haven’t used tahini before, you can find it on the shelf in most grocery stores. It’s Middle Eastern in origin and often placed in the Health Food or Organic aisles. Even after being opened, tahini can keep for months. Feel free to pair the dip with whatever vegetables that you desire. I served it with bell peppers, radishes, jicama and snap peas–but truly any crisp, brightly colored assortment would be delicious. The dip is a beautiful green hue, so feel free to show your Christmas spirit by surrounding your bowl with a platter of green and red vegetables.
Go ahead and take a healthy dip. Next week I promise to give you something a bit naughty but equally as nice.
Lemon-Parsley Tahini Dip
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and garlic and set aside for 2-3 minutes (this takes a bit of the edge off the raw garlic). Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley and tahini and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of a thick paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add 2 Tbls of water and blend until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- This recipe can be easily doubled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.