Labor Day already? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was sharing my potato salad for your Memorial Day Bar-B-Que? Crazy! I do hope that you’ve all had a happy and healthy summer and have reason to celebrate with the season’s traditional last BBQ gathering.
While there were many recipes for me to choose from, I decided to present a pre-dinner classic, crudités with dip. In this case, Larchmont Farmer’s Market’s best veggies served with a plant-based version of Green Goddess dressing thickened up enough to dip crunchy carrots, juicy heirloom baby tomatoes, crispy cukes, sweet bell peppers and spicy radishes. A colorful plateful of vitamins, minerals and deliciousness that truly epitomizes eating from the rainbow. It also satisfies all palates and dietary restrictions. Perfect for a gathering.
The Green Goddess Dressing will fool all naysayers of eating plant-based dairy. I have sourced my favorite brands, which are noted in the recipe, and combined them with a powerful punch of herbaliciousness. Is that a word? It should be! And who says creamy decadence can’t be healthy? This dip is an antioxidant party in a bowl with zero cholesterol. Eat up and enjoy!
I’ve included the list of vegetables photographed. Feel free to use whatever veggies you love, including celery, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, cabbage and green beans. The list is endless. That goes for the dip, as well. Add or replace any herbs you love. My recipes are a guidepost. Have creative culinary fun when you cook.
Crudités With Green Goddess Dip:
1-2 bunches small carrots with tops
10 small cucumbers, I used a mix of Persian and Kirby
1-bunch candy cane radishes
1-pint baby heirloom tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
Green Goddess dip
Wash and dry all vegetables. Cut the tops off of the carrots leaving a bit of stem. Peel and leave whole. Remove most of the leaves from the radishes leaving a sprig, here and there. Cut off the tail end and leave whole. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Slice the bell peppers, removing all seeds. Put the dip in a small bowl in the center of a large platter or cutting board. Surround the dip with the vegetables in bunches.
Dip and enjoy!
Green Goddess Dip
½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
½ cup fresh dill leaves
1/3 fresh cup basil leaves
About 15 chives
1 large clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper
2 T fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup plant based mayo (Best Foods)
½ cup plant based sour cream (Simple Truth)
1 heaping T plant based cream cheese (Miyokos)
¼ cup plant based feta (Follow Your Heart)
Rough chop all of the herbs and chives and put in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped (about 20 seconds). Scrape down sides. Add garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice and process until incorporated. Scrape down sides and mix up. Add the mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and feta and process about 30 seconds until it is all incorporated. Scrape down sides and process another 5 seconds. Taste for seasoning.
