Slow-roasted tomato dip

In August, when I was slow-roasting tomatoes using Kalyn’s fabulous instructions, I already knew we’d be hosting Thanksgiving here in Iowa City. My parents and Steve’s mother and her husband were all planning to join us for a few days of frolic and festivity. We don’t own a dishwasher, so it was also going to be a time of extreme dishwashing.

But that is not what this story is about. This story is about slow-roasted tomatoes, and how I decided, way back in August, that at least one of my batches would make an appearance on Thanksgiving in one form or another.

They ended up appearing twice: once as a pizza topping, with a pesto base and fresh mozzarella; and then, the leftovers that didn’t fit on the pizza reappeared as a dip, served with crackers and slices of baguette as an appetizer on Wednesday and Thursday.

This dip is absurdly easy — it requires only three ingredients. However, I recommend using the best ingredients you can. If you didn’t slow-roast tomatoes during the summer and freeze them, no worries. You can probably get some grocery store tomatoes and slow-roast those, but they won’t pack the flavor of farmstand tomatoes. You can also use any white bean you’ve got in the cupboard, but I used Runner Cannellini Beans from SeedSavers in Decorah, Iowa, which I cooked a couple of days before making the dip. They have a flavor unmatched by any canned bean, or even any bean cooked from standard-issue grocery store dried beans. I didn’t make my own pesto to use in this, but that would elevate the recipe, as well.

Regardless, it’s an easy item to whip up whenever you’ve got company coming over…or even if you just want to enjoy a really delicious snack on a late weekend afternoon with a glass of wine.

Slow-roasted tomato dip
(Serves 8-10 as part of an appetizer spread)

1 c. slow-roasted tomatoes
3/4 c. cooked white beans
1 Tbsp. prepared pesto

1. Mix the ingredients in a food processor until chunky and blended. Blend longer if you prefer a smooth dip, and add a little olive oil, if needed, to smooth it out.
2. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if they’re needed. Serve with crostini, crackers or slices of baguette.

This is my post for Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Please stop by Haalo’s blog on Monday to read the full round-up of recipes and other herby/vegetabley/fruity goodness!