throw everything in the vitamix and hope for the best. [creamy raw kale dip]
Somedays I get this urge to completely clean out the fridge and/or garden.
I really didn’t have a particular end product in mind, but this is how my creamy kale dip came to be. A little bit of everything that was available, blended and seasoned.
Keep in mind that a lot of my non-baking recipes have room for error, improvisation and improvement.
I went to the garden and picked whatever I and my 4 year old could carry: a bunch of green kale, a pocket full of pink grape tomatoes and a handful of flat leaf parsley.
I added some extra chopped red onion and green bell pepper that I had leftover from making beans and rice for lunch, about a 1/4 cup of each.
I squeezed in the juice of half a lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few shakes of cumin and a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Blend.
Since you have raw kale in there, you want to make sure it gets chopped up sufficiently…nobody like having a huge chunk of kale stuck between their teeth…
Taste and add more salt or lemon or oil as needed to get the consistency you like for a dip. I like mine more on the smooth side, especially having the raw onions and peppers in there. I hate getting a big chunk of raw onion.
The lemon will tone down the raw onion if you let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to macerate. Red onions are usually less pungent than white, which I why I chose them for my salsa. If you only have white or your red onion has a very strong smell, chop it and let it sit in lemon juice or warm water prior to using. It will make a difference.
To make this extra creamy, throw in 4oz of firm tofu or a handful of raw, soaked cashew while you’re blending (or both!)
I also topped these with some fried shallots (which got eaten before I could take a picture, yes they’re that good). They make a great addition to pretty much anything.
Fried shallots are a classic Vietnamese condiment and are really simple to make. Heat an inch of oil to 375 degrees. Drop in thinly sliced shallot rings and fry until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
I baked oil brushed tortillas at 350 degrees, sprinkled with a little salt, to use for dipping. Sliced a perfectly ripe ‘lemon boy’ tomato and put those on there as well.
You don’t always need a recipe to make something great. Throw some things together and don’t be afraid to make mistakes in the kitchen.
Eat More Plants. 
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