I Love this Stuff I'm always surprised when I look back through my photo files and realize just how few pictures I've actually posted, compared to all the ones I meant to post (and the thousands of others I've taken). The same goes for recipes. I couldn't believe it the other day when I realized that I've shared a pathetic grand total of eight recipes with you so far this year—and Things have to change. Enough with all the Rosemary white bean dips abound, but the Fine Cooking recipe I came across last year was the first one I'd seen that called for artichoke hearts. It sounded like a perfect combination, and it is. It doesn't taste all that artichokey—and someone might have a hard time actually guessing they're in there—but they really add a lot of flavor. I applied my usual More, More, More philosophy to the original recipe, upping the fresh rosemary (since my
On a whim, I decided to stir some kalamata olives into the second batch I made, and this turned out to be a very good idea. That was many months and many batches ago. This dip is the sort of thing I can quickly become addicted to, happily eating it morning, noon, and night. Fortunately the recipe doubles easily. It also happens to be pretty good for you, which is nice to know if, like me, you're unable to stop eating it. I actually had to hide the recipe a while because I was afraid I'd eat so much I'd end up permanently sick of it, and I'd hate for that to happen.
Cans of organic beans are a handy staple in my farmhouse pantry because they're so convenient and versatile. They're readily available in natural foods stores and many supermarkets and can often be found for the bargain price of about a dollar apiece. Some places such as Whole Foods will even give you a case discount if you stock up and buy 12 cans at a time. I've used fresh lime juice in place of the lemon juice here a few times, and I really liked the flavor. Don't add the kalamatas in the food processor or they'll turn your dip a creepy purplish grey—stir them in at the end instead. I like to make half the batch with olives and half without and serve them up side by side, as pictured above. I don't usually drizzle extra olive oil onto my food (preferring to save those calories for a You can serve this dip with just about anything—fresh veggies, crackers, pretzels, baguette slices—but it's heavenly on homemade pita chips. I also think it would be delicious spread on a sandwich.
White Bean and Artichoke Dip/Spread with Rosemary & Kalamatas
Makes about 2 cups (may be doubled) — Adapted from Fine Cooking
To make your own pita chips, simply brush triangles of pita bread with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and a little finely grated hard cheese if you're feeling decadent, and bake them at 400° for 6 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pitas and how crisp and brown you like them.
I like to bake up small batches of pita chips in my beloved
toaster convection oven (which also helps me keep from eating way too many pita chips at once). Homemade pita chips made from homemade pita bread are out of this world; see how easy it is to make your own pitas in my previous post, The Pita Project.
1 15-ounce can organic cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and rinsed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup (about ¼ ounces) finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of fresh pepper
2 heaping Tablespoons chopped kalamata olives (about 10 olives), optional
Combine the cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add a Tablespoon or two of water or more olive oil if you prefer a smoother consistency.
Blend in the rosemary and Pecorino Romano, then salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the kalamata olives if using. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita chips, crackers, baguette slices, or fresh vegetables.
This dip tastes even better after chilling for several hours or overnight, and will keep in the fridge for three or four days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Still hungry? Here are a few other dips and spreads you might enjoy:
Radish, Scallion and Feta Cream Cheese Spread/DipChives and Herbed Yogurt Cheese
Sour Cream and Onion Dip (and Foodie Travel)
Ridiculously Easy White Bean Pesto Spread
Quick Refried Black Bean Dip
Salsa-Like Green Tomato Relish
Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip
Other Farmgirl Fare recipes that call for canned beans:
Garbanzo Bean Salad with Red Onion, Cilantro, & FetaSwiss Chard Cabbage Salad with Garbanzos, Broccoli Stems, & Cottage Cheese
Fast Black Bean Soup/Chili
Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw with High Kickin' Creamy Tomato Dressing
Simple Broccoli Onion Soup with Garbanzo Beans
Other Farmgirl Fare recipes that use artichoke hearts:
Quick & Healthy Cream (or Not) of Artichoke SoupEasy Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Onions, Garlic, Garbanzos, and Artichokes
Swiss Chard Artichoke Soup
Swiss Chard & Artichoke White Pizza
* © Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the recipe hoarding foodie farm blog where my plan really is to seriously start catching up with all the backlogged recipes I've been wanting to post, but of course I was just kidding when I said forget about the cute animal photos. I know some of you like them the best—and in my opinion it's impossible to ever have too much cute!
