My banana peppers are coming along quite nicely in my garden. I call them banana peppers because that is what the kind elderly man at the mom and pop nursery told me they were when he handed me three trays and said with a sad face they were the only peppers he had left.
(Update: Since I posted this, my friend Nancy told me that the peppers the kind man gave me were Hungarian Peppers! Ha. Now I know. I think I'll get them again next year, only on purpose. :))
He also handed me two trays of broccoli plants and his one and only last tray of cauliflower.
Guess what, folks?
I have 11 beautiful broccoli plants in my garden. (One plant didn't make it.) No cauliflower.
I find it humorous. And I'll probably go back to the same nursery next year.
Anyhow, I thought I would make a dip out of the peppers I had.
Okay, so here are what look to be banana peppers. But, oh baby, are they hot! I chose two small ones for the dip.
And our local grocery store had a bag of these colorful peppers on sale last week. I chose green and red for this dip.
This dip also includes creme cheese, goat cheese, garlic cloves all peeled and ready to be minced, and prepared pesto. You don't have to buy these brands. This is just what I had on hand.
I love the whole garlic cloves in brine, all ready to take out of the jar and mince.
And fresh basil out of my garden! I love basil. I think its one of my favorites.
Well, I really like cilantro, too.
Another picture of my basil and the minced garlic cloves.
Soften that package of creme cheese and mix it up real good.
Add one tablespoon each of three of your favorite picked peppers.
Add one tablespoon of the minced basil, and two minced garlic cloves.
Scoop out 2 tablespoons of prepared pesto. (Or you can make your own from scratch!)
Mix it all up.
Last but not least, add 1/3 cup of softened goat cheese.
Scoop into a small (2-cup) sprayed oven proof bowl. I added a couple specks of red pepper for color.
Bake it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator before serving.
And hey, put a sprig of that gorgeous basil on top and breathe deeply.
Serve with your favorite crackers or veggies or both.
Now wasn't that easy? Now you can get back outside and enjoy summer!
The recipe is below.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces, weight Creme Cheese, Softened
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Pepper Of Your Choice, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Green Bell Pepper, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Red Bell Pepper, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, Minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Prepared Pesto
- ⅓ cups Goat Cheese, Softened
Preparation
In a medium size bowl, mix up the softened creme cheese. Add the minced peppers, minced fresh basil, minced garlic, pesto, and stir until combined. Stir in the goat cheese. Pour into a greased 2-cup oven proof bowl. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Take out and let cool. Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill before serving. Garnish with a small sprig of basil and a few speckles of minced red pepper. Serve with your favorite crackers or veggies or both.
Makes two cups dip and should serve about 4 munchers.
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