Broccomole

Last weekend we ventured up to the old haunts of Minneapolis to help my dear friend Julie JAO with an evening of speed painting performance in her studio.  Some of you may have seen her speed painting the signature stick figures but now she’s moved onto Celtic creatures….not exactly a simple choice for painting with abandon.

These are a few from the evening, soon I can give you links to the live videos so you can watch them being born in front of your eyes but for the moment you can view the creation of a Celtic Creature HERE, or watch her other videos HERE.

JAO hanging out after the show by a couple of paintings.  Sometimes she’ll wear kneepads and a helmet while painting—things can get racous, ‘wild, and expressive’.

Now I’m hungry…

My friend Dana made this for us last year and shared her version of the recipe adapted from a 1976 copy of “Too Many Tomatoes” by Lois M Burrows and Laura G Meyers.  This version is not spicy but you could add the other accoutrements to take in on a more southerly route.  The crackers in the photo are my new favorite—a Toasted Onion Flatbread by Absolutely Gluten Free—they have good crackle and flavor but mild enough to let everything come through, great with brie or boursin. 

I love dips.  When I’m under duress and all other foods are unappealing, I can eat crackers and dip.  I think my version of heaven includes dips.  And if a dip can include a green vegetable, well that’s an unexpected bonus.

Broccoli from the Farmers Market!  Those veggies that didn’t get hammered by our super late May frost are starting to roll in.

The curry in this recipe does what curry can sometimes do when used in small amounts—it boosts the flavor up a level but does not reveal that it is a curry mixture.  I would not call this a curried dip but I love what it gives to the whole.  Try a smidgen of curry in other things like tuna salad, potato salad and coleslaw to give a subtle upgrade.

What is a smidgen??  See Cookbook People and the Accuracy Project for help.

Broccomole

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes for the broccoli

Blend together in a food processor: 

1 cup cooked Broccoli, finely chopped

1/4 cup Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, or Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/4 cup Parmesan, Pecorino or other hard cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Onion, minced

1/4-1/2 teaspoon Curry powder

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Squeeze of Lemon or Lime

Optional additions:

Cilantro

Chili Pepper

Green Onions

Garlic

Hot Peppers

Creatures in the JAO studio