Gettin' Dippy with it!

Hi there,

Here's my first red/white/blue dish:  White bean dip, roasted red pepper dip, and blue corn tortilla chips.

For the roasted red peppers, roast two medium red peppers until they're blackened all over, then toss them into a paper bag until they cool.  Peel off the skin, remove the stems, and process them in the food processor until they're creamy.  I added 1 Tablespoon of tahini for texture (it's a sesame paste, much like almond or peanut butter, but with a milder flavor) - but you could also toss in a handful of roasted walnuts and process them until they blend in. I added about a teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and ancho chili powder. Salt, pepper, and the juice of half a lemon rounded this out.  I've seasoned this (and the bean dip) fairly mildly -- feel free to kick up the seasonings in either.  Just remember to taste as you go.

Get a small can (15 oz) of cannellini beans.  Trader Joe's sells them as "White Kidney Beans".  Drain and rinse and place into your (rinsed-out) food processor.  Chop up two cloves of garlic really finely, and two sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 2-3 fresh sage leaves), chopped finely.  Add to the processor bowl.  With the processor running, add 1/2 c. olive oil and squeeze in some lemon juice.  Taste, then add salt, pepper -- and I added just a touch of chipotle chili to give it some "fireworks".  Taste and correct seasoning until you're happy.  One hint - you'll be tempted to add more garlic.  Put the dip in the fridge for an hour or two and then check back - garlic tends to develop its flavor over time, and you don't want your friends to think you need to ward off vampires.

You can serve the two dips in separate containers with your blue corn tortilla chips, or you could put the white bean dip into a shallow bowl on one side, and then the red pepper dip on the other and swirl them together, just a little bit -- or make a wavy line down the middle -- for a prettier presentation.  You can also garnish this with a bunch of Italian parsley or cilantro.  Either way, enjoy -- and I'll see you at the market!