Yogurt Dip with Fresh Herbs

Getting a large bunch of mint all at once in a CSA box creates time pressure to eat it all before it goes bad. Here’s a good way to use up a large amount: Mix up a raita-like dip with yogurt, crushed garlic, chopped scallions, and lots of fresh herbs. Delicious! We did mint and dill tonight.

Variations:

• Change up the herbs.
•  Add sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, or anything else that sounds yummy!
• Thin it with milk to make it a soup.

Irish Soda Bread

I just baked my best loaf of Irish soda bread yet. Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, with variations:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white flour
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups kefir

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in food processor until dough forms. Knead by hand until uniform in texture. Let dough rest a few minutes. Lightly grease a 10 inch cast iron pan. Form a round loaf in the pan.

Bake for one hour until nicely browned.

Changes: Original recipe had 3/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda. The 45 minute bake time meant I consistently underbaked the loaves (my fault, not Bittman’s – he said “at least 45 minutes”). Finally, cast iron simply makes everything better.