My house was built in the 1880s. Over the years, it’s been renovated and updated to include such modern conveniences and indoor plumbing and electricity, but neither I nor any previous owners have installed the ducts necessary for central air conditioning.
For most of the summer, this isn’t a problem. Plenty of tall trees shade the house, and several industrial fans and strategically opened windows keep the air moving.
When the temperatures soar, though, there’s only so much that trees and fans can do. During a heatwave, I’m not about to turn on the stove or oven, but don’t think I’m going to grill, either. Stand over a fire when it’s 96 degrees in the shade? I don’t think so.
On nights like these I pull out the food processor. We’re having dip for dinner.
This isn’t as decadent as it sounds. We don’t plow our way through Lipton Onion Dip and bags of ripple potato chips. Black Bean Dip, Herbed Cheese Dip and even Sun-Dried Tomato “Aioli” are favorites, and they’re good sources of important nutrients.
Here are three more that are in heavy rotation in my meals. Hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas, but butter beans make a very smooth, almost elegant dip, but most all canned beans become very creamy when pureed. Bean dips also adapt to an almost endless variety of flavors. I prefer lemon’s refreshing tang in the summer.
I also like the eye-opening kick that anchovies bring to tapenade and urge you to try the recipe with them, even if you are not a fan of these little fish.
I like to make several dips and serve a few tablespoons of each. Herbed cheese spread tempers the pungency of tapenade, and tapenade’s saltiness adds a depth of flavor to the sun-dried tomato dip, and the lemony hummus complements the herbed cheese spread.
Accompaniments that evoke an antipasto or meze platter are also ideal: pickled or marinated vegetable salads, an array of olives and cold meats, or lightly dressed salad greens can work now or as the temperature cools. When the heat is particularly brutal, I skip the heavier stuff for sliced veggies. Zucchini rounds, cherry or grape tomatoes, or bell pepper strips don’t seem as heavy and make a casual supper seem like a feast. If you can bear to use a toaster, heat up pitas or flatbreads, or use the microwave to warm tortillas.
You’ll have dinner on the table in well under 15 minutes, without breaking a sweat.
Lemony Hummus
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)
Butter beans have a milder flavor and, when pureed, a smoother texture than do chickpeas. If you don’t have tahini, a paste of sesame seeds, use unsweetened peanut butter.
15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas or butter beans, drained and liquid reserved
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the beans, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon zest, juice, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Purée until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container if necessary. If a thinner dip is desired, add reserved bean liquid as necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Taste and stir in salt and pepper as necessary. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Serve with: kalamata olives, toasted pita wedges, crumbled feta cheese, marinated artichoke hearts, and lightly salted tomato slices.
Tapenade
(makes about 2/3 cup)
Although most recipes describe tapenade as a paste made of black olives, the word comes from the Provençal word for caper, tapeno. Niçoise olives are probably more authentic, but I usually use kalamatas. Their flavors are virtually indistinguishable in this recipe, and kalamatas are often available pitted, which speeds preparation immensely. Olives and anchovies are quite salty; you’ll probably find the recipe doesn’t need additional salt.
1/2 cup pitted kalamatas or niçoise olives
2 to 3 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove, peeled
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the olives, anchovies, capers, mustard, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor or blender. Purée until fairly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Taste and stir in pepper as necessary. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Serve with: sliced baguette, goat cheese or Herbed Cheese Spread, a salad of sliced tomatoes and red onion drizzled with olive oil, or vegetables like zucchini rounds or endive leaves. Spoon leftovers over grilled chicken or fish, or rub between the skin and meat of chicken breast before roasting.
Spicy White Bean Dip
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)
Chipotles are smoked and dried jalapeno peppers; they are available dried or canned in an adobo sauce. Start with one pepper. If you prefer more heat, stir in a small amount of the sauce, or add another pepper.
15 1/2-ounce can white beans, drained and liquid reserved
1 small onion, chopped
Leaves from 1 or two sprigs cilantro
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce, or more to taste
Combine the beans, onion, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and chipotle in a food processor or blender. Purée until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container if necessary. If a thinner dip is desired, add the bean liquid as necessary. Taste, then add more chipotle if desired.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Serve with: grape or cherry tomatoes, a very firm, crisp bread such as plain bagel chips or thinly sliced French or Italian bread.