As noted in my previous post, Food in Jar’s Marisa McClellan just published her fourth book: The Food in Jars Kitchen. You can read more about that book here, but in sum, the book is filled with recipes to help you use up the many jars of jams, chutneys, and pickles you may have in your pantry. One of those such recipes is this “blank slate white bean dip”, which she especially loves swirled with pesto but also with chutney, harissa, or marinated peppers. Having just made her “adaptable chutney,” I went that route and was so pleased with the result: a creamy dip brightened both in flavor and texture by the sweet-sharp chutney. I’ve been eating it with carrot sticks and endive spears, but I could imagine spreading it across a tortilla and making some sort of wrap with roasted red peppers and arugula? Right? Will report back on that one. Marisa notes in the recipe: “Truly think of this dip as your blank slate. I can imagine a version, built on the same bones, made with black beans, lime, and a few tablespoons of really thick homemade salsa. Another easy variation is to add a whole head of roasted garlic along with the marinated peppers. And if you ever find yourself with a surplus of homemade chimichurri sauce, use that in place of the pesto. Delicious!” It all sounds so good. Here’s the play-by-play: Open up a can of white beans or start from scratch with dried. Soak the beans overnight. I’m partial to the Cook’s Illustrated brining method. Cook the beans. Freeze or refrigerate beans in their cooking liquid until ready to use. These quart containers are handy for this. Place beans, lemon zest, juice, garlic, and salt into a food processor. Purée until smooth; then add olive oil and purée again.
Add a quarter cup (or more to taste) of chutney and process again until smooth. Serve with raw vegetables (or crackers or bread) of your choice. Marisa McClellan’s The Food in Jars Kitchen: 5 from 1 review Note from Marisa: “Truly think of this dip as your blank slate. I can imagine a version, built on the same bones, made with black beans, lime, and a few tablespoons of really thick homemade salsa. Another easy variation is to add a whole head of roasted garlic along with the marinated peppers. And if you ever find yourself with a surplus of homemade chimichurri sauce, use that in place of the pesto. Delicious!” I love cooking beans from scratch. Refer to this post if you would like to, too: How to Cook Beans and Legumes From Scratch
