Everybody knows it’s hot. I am not a fan of hot, mostly because my house is minimally-air conditioned (and certainly not in the kitchen). Folks who have seasonal affective disorder – I understand you now. My disorder is slightly different than most, though, because my blue times occur in the summer as my kitchen reaches 90 degrees. It makes it almost impossible to do anything that requires moving…let alone cook.
So, after eating out the past couple nights and, frankly, staying out of my hot house for days, we decided to “cook” a minimal dinner tonight. It was a very simple plate of grilled marinated chicken, grilled flatbread (both grilled outdoors thus keeping my kitchen “cooler”) and a very tasty no-cook Mediterranean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip from the fine ladies who wrote Veganomicon.
I was extremely happy with this creamy, pesto-like dip full of rich nutty cashew flavor, fresh cucumbers, a little dill…oh wait, here’s the recipe!
Mediterranean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip
1lb seedless cucumber, peeled and grated (about 1 2/3 cup, loosely packed)
1 cup raw cashews (5 ounces)
2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)
A few kalamata olives, for garnish
Squeeze handfuls of grated cucumber over a medium-size bowl to remove as much juice as possible. You can do this also by wrapping the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth or heavy-duty paper towel. Set aside the juice and place the squeezed cucumber in a large bowl.
Combine the cashews, lemon juice, half the grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until creamy, scraping the sides of the processor bowl frequently. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of reserved cucumber juice to the sauce. The final consistency should resemble a not-too-think hummus. Scrape into a medium-size bowl and stir in the remaining grated cucumber and chopped dill.
Cover and chill until ready to use. If serving alone, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few kalamata olives, if desired.
My notes:
1. Since I didn’t want to clean too many gadgets, I used the food processor to grate the cucumber as my first step (instead of using a regular grater).
2. This dip would be great with the cucumbers and dill from our Farmers Market.
2. The raw garlic gives it a little kick, so if you are timid, cut it down to one clove.
3. I used roasted unsalted cashews, a regular cucumber (scraped out the seeds), and black pepper instead of what the recipe called for.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA