F is for: Feta, Green Garlic & Avocado Dip

This is what I call a refrigerator recipe. What I mean by that is sometimes I just open up my fridge, and figure out what I can make with the ingredients I have on hand. I sort of just start adding stuff, taste testing, and adjusting until I have something I’m happy with.

I knew I wanted to do something with the delicious sheep’s milk feta I had leftover from the asparagus salad I made last week. I also had some mint, cilantro and a jalapeno pepper. And some Greek yogurt. AND some green garlic from my CSA bag. In the end, I also ended up tossing in some avocado that was finally ripe enough to eat.

What I ended up with was a slightly spicy, slightly tangy, very creamy dip that was perfect with kale & fennel chips. And just for the hell of it, I also whipped up some sweet potato chips. (Those might have been my favorite…probably because they were fried. 🙂 )

This is the green garlic I was talking about. It looks like a large spring onion, but it’s actually just young garlic. It’s much milder and more delicate in taste than mature garlic, but stronger than a green onion. You use them like you would an onion…trim off the roots, and the tougher parts of the green leaves, leaving the white, pale green, and a little bit of the dark green portions.

I made a double batch of the dip, and used all four stalks. To be honest, that might have been too much. I underestimated the “bite” the green garlic had, which almost gave it a spicy effect. So I’m suggesting for a single recipe, use one stalk of green garlic, and add more later if you really like the flavor.

The actual dip is super easy. I just roughly chop everything and then throw it all in the food processor (minus the yogurt) to finely chop and combine. (My chopper attachment was sort of overflowing, so the regular sized Cuisinart might have been better). Stir the mixture in with the yogurt and season with lemon juice, salt & pepper. I called an audible at the last minute and decided to add some avocado as well, so I just sort of mashed it in…but definitely throw this in with the green garlic & feta mixture in the food processor.

And that’s it! Serve with homemade veggie chips, warm pita, bread, grilled artichokes or crudites! (Just a thought…this would also be delicious in gyros or on lamb burgers).