White Bean Dip With Rosemary And Sage Recipes

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
• Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, adding salt (some canned beans are already salty), additional lemon juice, or a dash of cayenne for a little kick.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve to allow flavors to blend.

Steps:

• Roast the garlic: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel off most of the garlic's outermost skin but leave the whole head intact. Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a large piece of aluminum foil, then drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the exposed cloves and close the foil into a pouch. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until you can pierce the center of the head with a knife. Let cool slightly.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor. Add the white beans, 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary leaves, black pepper, cayenne (if using), hot water and salt. Purée until smooth, then taste for salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon juice. Adjust as necessary. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining rosemary sprig - it should sizzle. Cook until brown and crisp, flipping once, about 1 minute per side, then transfer to the top of the dip as a garnish. Pour or spoon the remaining olive oil, now infused with rosemary, over the top of the dip. Sprinkle with cayenne for a little additional heat.

Steps:

• Soak overnight in 4 cups water: 1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, white runner, Great Northern, navy, and so on).
• Drain and transfer to a heavy pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 2 hours or so, until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during the cooking. Season to taste with: Salt.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, warm over low heat: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• Add: 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped rosemary leaves.
• Cook just until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir into the beans, taste for salt, and adjust as needed. Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
• Variation
• Leaves of either sage or winter or summer savory are delicious substitutes for rosemary.