Green Goodness and Crackling Flatbread

Yum.

Green Goodness Not-Guac

After whipping this bowl of deliciousness up I commented to Tate that people were going to confuse it for guacamole, he said “yeah, maybe you should label it” and proceeded to dip a chip deep in the bowl.  His eyes lite up and he added “but they won’t be disappointed! Wow”.   Guacamole is some stiff competition and this Green Goodness totally stands up for itself!

I’ve had a version of this at a party once and have come across a few recipes but here’s my super-simple take on minted pea dip.

  • one bag frozen peas
  • 1/2 c. frozen shelled edamame
  • a few sprigs of mint
  • juice from one lemon
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
I emptied the bag of peas with the 1/2 cup of edamame into the food processor and let them thaw out in there while I was busy around the kitchen with other projects.  Alternately you could always thaw them in the fridge overnight or in the microwave.
Pulse peas and edamame in the processor.  Add lemon juice, mint leaves, a drizzle of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons), and salt and pepper to taste.  Process until smooth.
Just try it.  It’s more amazing than it sounds, believe me.  It’s also so bright and Spring-y and it holds it’s green, unlike guacamole, making it a fun addition to any meal.
Serve on slices of baguette, corn chips, or Crackling Flatbread
For these extra tall crackers I used the matzo recipe for inspiration but added corn meal and a few spices.
Makes 8 big crackers or lots of small ones.
Pre-heat oven to 450*
  • 1.5 cups of whole wheat or white wheat flour plus more for rolling
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1.5 tsp. salt plus more for topping
  • black pepper
  • smoked paprika (optional)
  • fresh or dried herbs of choice (optional)
It was really hard for me not to dump a ton of rosemary in these and call it good because that would have been amazing, but I wanted to keep them simple and versatile and easy to pair with whatever dips, spreads, cheeses came their way.  Towards the end of the batch I got more creative and rolled in some fresh herbs into a few and some smoked paprika into a few others.
Measure flour and corn meal into a medium mixing bowl.  Add water, 1.5 tsp. salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly, first with a spoon then with your hands.  It will probably be a little sticky.  Form dough into a ball and let rest for about 10 minutes for the corn meal to absorb the water.
Divide dough into 8 portions.  Flour your work surface generously.  Form one portion into a little tube shape then, using a rolling pin, roll into desired shape and as thin as possible.  Flip often and re-flour as necessary as you roll it out to prevent sticking.  Sprinkle on some salt and herbs/paprika if you like just before that last couple rolls.  Here’s the fun and tricky part-the rolled out cracker goes directly onto your oven rack.  This means that you can only cook 2-4 at a time depending on your skills and bravery with the oven.  Check on the crackers often and remove from oven as soon as they start to brown (10-15 minutes).
You could bake these on a baking sheet lined with parchment but you wouldn’t get the even browning or the fun bunny-ear effect.
I’m heading back to bed with a big, fat peice of birthday cake and the new Modern Family, have a great weekend!


Thirty’s Cake Walk

Oh what a wonderful first day of my 30’s!

And it was made even better by all of your sweet, thoughtful, lovely birthday wishes, thank you!!!

After being served breakfast at home I decided what I most wanted to do with MY day was hike.

Hike we did!  9 miles roundtrip and 3100 feet elevation gained.

The Priest.

We walked and talked and refueled once we (finally!) reached the top.

We arrived home late afternoon dirty and tired but there was no rest for this birthday girl.

It was yoga time.  30 sun salutations on the yoga deck later and it was time to party!

Hmmm, there was lots of good food and great friends but my pictures seem to be focused only on the booze and cake!

Holy birthday cake!!!

Tate ordered this beautiful beast from Albermarle Baking Company, they told him it would serve 20.  We cut 20 generous slices and were left with half a cake!

Mmmm leftover cake.


Alrighty, in the interest of containing this post to manageable proportions I will post some recipes in a second post.  Keep your eyes out for Goodness Green Dip and crackers in a few hours!

Thanks again for all the wonderful wishes!

P.S Kath has some lovely party pictures, she’s much more on top of the photography thing than I am!