Dips and Spreads in the Food Processor

It's been a summer tradition to spend an afternoon with my friend Terrin making good use of our food processors. The first year it was because T had grown a massive quantity of basil in her backyard and now we just do it for fun. Yesterday we made four different spreads.

The first was edamole, which I've posted about before. This was actually our least favorite of the day. It's okay, but really mild after the crazy flavors we'd been sampling. This will be good with some carrots and cucumbers for a light appetizer.

The second was traditional basil pesto.

Basil Pesto

lots of fresh basil (fill up the food processor)

2 big hands-full of toasted pinenuts

1 big handful grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

Add all the ingredients (except olive oil) and pulse in processor to combine. Turn processor to "on" and stream in olive oil until it gets a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Next up was hummus - the easiest one, in my opinion! And so much cheaper than buying those little pre-made tubs in the grocery store.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

juice and zest of 1-2 lemons

3-4 cloves garlic

salt and pepepr

most of 1 small jar of roasted red peppers

olive oil

Mix all ingredients (except oil) in processor to combine, then turn on and stream in oil until the hummus is a silky creamy texture.

Finally, my favorite of the group - olive tapenade. Zesty and shockingly purple, a little goes a long way. It's delicious.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

1 container (approx 1.5 cups) pitted kalamata olives

1 tsp anchovy paste

2-3 cloves garlic

juice of 1 lemon

olive oil

Same method as the other dips - mix ingredients until chopped then stream in the oil until the tapenade is thick and spreadable.

Here are the final products - from top to bottom: 3 tubs hummus, and 2 tubs each of pesto, tapenade, edamole. And the best part is that all of these spreads freeze very well for use into the fall and early winter.