Dip into summer - Green pea hummus, cucumber and spinach raita

DC experienced a brief bout of heat and humidity before it was relieved by the thunderstorms (thankfully no tornadoes). During that time, I transitioned from still wanting soup now and again to just wanting to crawl into that bag of frozen blueberries in my freezer. As a sort of compromise, I made a couple of dips, all with success. So much so that after multiple meals of pita, dips, and smoothies, the only thing I want is more pita, more dip, and more smoothies even though the weather is no longer oppressively warm. 

A recipe for green pea hummus appeared on Serious Eats the other day and having recently acquired a well-loved second hand food processor (thanks, D+D!), I was eager to try it out. It involves simply processing a bag of frozen peas with some oil, lemon juice, and cheese but the results are fantastic: light but filling, and a little sweet from peas frozen at their peak. And it's seriously satisfying to dig into something so vibrantly green.



A second dip was inspired by a raita (yogurt relish) dish in Madhur Jaffrey's new cookbook, which is a beautiful book with highly approachable Indian recipes. I substituted mustard seeds with the more commonly found cumin seeds and added some cucumbers at the end. The result is a light but flavorful sauce that is delicious alone, on a salad, with a pita... you name it.

Green pea hummus
Slightly adapted from Serious Eats

1 pound frozen green peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs grated parmesean cheese
juice from one lemon, about 2 tbs
zest from the lemon, if it's organic
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane or finely minced
salt and pepper

Process all ingredients until smooth. Seriously, that's it.



Spinach and cucumber raita
Adapted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey

I used Trader Joe's European style nonfat yogurt, which is so creamy it doesn't taste fat-free (did Trader Joe's just make something nonfat taste, well, fatty? They deserve an award). If you can't find this type, I would recommend using something with a little fat to make this dish really creamy.

1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 small garlic clove, minced
A small bunch of spinach, maybe 3-4 oz, stemmed
1 small Persian cucumber, peeled and diced small. Seed if using a large cucumber.
Salt
1 cup plain yogurt
cayenne pepper, to taste (I used two dashes)

In a skillet or wok, heat oil and cumin seeds together. When cumin seeds start to pop, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add a pinch of salt. Cool slightly and stir into yogurt along with the cucumbers. Top with cayenne and serve.