Something Green in Your Artichoke Dip

Spinach and artichoke dip is a classic appetizer-time offering; you can even acquire it ready-made. It’s an appealing alternative to beany, cheesy, burger-filled, scoop-worthy goo found on the Big Game Day snack table. Not, mind you, that this dip with its hearty portions of cream, cheddar cheese, and sour cream will qualify as a serving of vegetables even if you eat it all.

So here comes February, and we are enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of our summer labor stashed in the freezer. Somehow, we always manage to eat all the spinach we grow fresh from the garden, so there is never any for the freezer. The cut and come again, and again, and again chard, on the other hand kept spurting new deep green leaves and gloriously colored stalks. The variety called Bright Lights is a favorite of mine. I plant it in April, and it is one of the last things to give up the ghost in October, and it is beautiful all the time.

To freeze it, I usually separate the green leafy part from the stems, which I cut into two to three inch lengths, blanch and freeze. The leaves I chop coarsely and barely wilt before packing in zip-closing bags. Depending on what I am making for supper, the stems and leaves may reunite (as in soup) or go their separate ways as in this dip for which I used chard in place of spinach. I suppose you could use tender kale or any dark green leafy vegetable you like in this recipe.

If you use frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can before adding it to the dip, or plan on cooking it until very little liquid runs out. If you start with fresh spinach or other greens you will have to cook them dry as well. It is kind to your family and guests if you chop the greens quite small. Nobody will appreciate tendrils of spinach or chard trailing from their chip or cracker.

Your best artichoke choice is the canned one without oil or dressing. But use what you have; drain them well if they have an oil and vinegar dressing, and chop them well, too. Click here to continue reading.