Our wonderful recipe creator, chef, and food stylist Veda Sankaran channeled our “buy fresh, buy local” passion into a winter holiday feast of flavor. Her dips and starters are good for any time of year, but their substantial warmth is perfect for the cold months.
Holiday Dips and Starter Recipes for any Occasion
Pop a bacon-studded casserole dish of Devils on Horseback Dip into the oven. Slice a loaf of fresh bread from your favorite local baker. You know just what to do when the dip is ready! Bacon from a local farm to table resource makes the flavors sing.
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Devils On Horseback Dip Recipe
Description
This creamy, sweet, and savory onion dip is a perfect blend
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
- 5 pieces bacon
- 6 large pitted Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 tbsp sherry or port
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup grated Comté cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a flat-bottom pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add 1 tbsp of oil. Once warm, add the sliced onions with ¼ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of brown sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Stir every 5 minutes.
- Then, lower the heat to medium-low and let onions caramelize slowly, making sure not to stir too often. This process may take up to 20 minutes. Once caramelized, set aside the onions.
- Cook the bacon by placing the 5 pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and coo in a 400-degree oven for 18 minutes. Take it out and let it cool. Once cool enough, crumble and set aside.
- Place dates in a bowl, pour ½ cup boiling water and sit for 3 minutes. Drain the water and finely dice the softened dates.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, diced dates, and 1 tbsp of the sherry/port. Then add ½ cup of mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, the grated Comté cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine everything and scoop the mixture into an oven-safe baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes and serve while still hot.
Endives With Pickled Grapes & Burrata Recipe
Description
This pickled grape salad combines the sweet and tart flavors of grapes with a savory, spiced pickling brine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb red seedless grapes, washed, stems removed, and cut in half
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1-star anise
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorn
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed open
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 ½” ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- Endives
- Burrata, hand-torn
- Korean pickled daikon radish, finely diced
- Pistachios, crushed
Instructions
- Wash and remove the stems of the grapes. Then cut the grapes in half. Place the prepared grapes in a nonreactive container, like a mason jar.
- Place all the other pickling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it begins boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Cool the pickling mixture thoroughly, pour it over the grapes, and nestle the spices evenly. Seal tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 days for best results.
- Every day shake the container to redistribute the grapes in the pickling liquid to redistribute the spices evenly.
- To assemble the appetizer: Take an endive leaf, tear and place a few small pieces of burrata inside. Then add a few of the pickled grape halves, followed by some of the diced pickled radishes. Top with crushed pistachios.
- White bean hummus rounds out a table of grazable starters with a simple, wholesome, easy-to-make schmear for good bread from Crustworthy or another of our great local bakeries.
White Bean And Cashew Hummus Recipe
Description
A creamy and flavorful bean dip with cashews and savory spices
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 15.5 oz Great Northern beans
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 lemon, zest, and juice
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 cup raw cashew pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- First, drain the beans, reserving the liquid to use later. Then, place the cashew pieces in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for at least 10 minutes.
- Once the cashews have soaked, place them in a food processor, reserving the water to use later. Blend until the cashews begin to form a thick paste.
- Then pour in ¼ cup of the reserved cashew water and ¼ cup of the reserved bean water and blend to a smooth paste.
- Next, add the crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, drained beans, white pepper, coriander, cumin, salt, and olive oil.
- Blend until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Zhoug
Description
A hot and spicy green sauce that is a staple of Yemeni cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tsp cardamom pods
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 serrano chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 small blood orange or navel orange, zest, and juice
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sumac
- 1 ½ cups cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup parsley. coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- First, lightly toast the cardamom, cumin, and coriander in a small skillet. Let cool completely, then grind in a spice grinder or crush with a mortar and pestle until powdered. Set this aside.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the serrano chilies, garlic, and spice mixture a few times. Then add the zest and juice of the orange and the juice of the lemon, along with the salt, brown sugar, and sumac.
- Next, combine the cilantro and parsley and pulse a few times. Make sure not to blend it too much, as you want some texture to the zhoug.
- Finally, add the olive oil and pulse twice. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- To serve, place the hummus in a bowl, top with the zhoug and drizzle olive oil to taste. Add toasted cashews, pomegranate seeds, almonds, etc, to garnish.
Recipes by Veda Sankaran
Photography by Dave Bryce
Styling by Keith Recker
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