Little gestures are among my favorite ones, the unexpected little things that stick with you long after the memory of why the gesture may have been performed if there even was a reason at all. A gesture that was made to me recently was a gift from the folks at Living Gourmet Herbs, who brought me a lovely herb planter, but also a big bunch of freshly cut dill in a glass of water. I put the dill on my windowsill and thought about the ways I could use it before it started to wilt. I thought the hardest about making a creamy dill dip, for some reason. This dill was on a clock and I didn't have time to get too much more creative.
But then I thought about these dehydrated vegetable flakes I got from The Fresh Market on a whim when perusing their spice section. Before you think that's gross, it's the same kind that are in dehydrated soup mixes, like the ones you mix with sour cream to make vegetable spinach dip. I like throwing extra vegetables into things where I might not think about the fact that I'm eating extra nutrients, but am! Thus vegetable dill dip was born.
I played around with spice and herb levels and came out with this pretty delicious recipe that Patrick says is "like onion dip" but I think is zestier and more nuanced, though still as addictive as onion dip and plain wavy chips can be. Believe me, because I'm the food writer and have a more developed palate. Or at least, that's what I like to tell myself when I indulge in my sekrit shame behavior with the other plain chips, which is to dip them in ketchup, a habit I developed in childhood and still love today.
But back to this dip, which is a very highbrow food to be enjoying in the summer, or all year round, really.
Dilly Vegetable Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dehydrated vegetable flakes
- 1 tbsp onion salt
- 3 tbsp fresh dill
- ½ tsp salt
- wavy regular potato chips to serve
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except chips together. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors can mingle. Serve with chips.
This is a really good party snack, or TV binging snack, or lunchbox treat while you eat at your desk and stare out the window into the great beyond. And if you ever get unexpected dill, you'll know how to use it! By the way, if you want expected dill or other herbs, check out Living Gourmet Herbs' website to see what they can deliver to you if you are in the greater Columbia area. And to really tie this post up with a bow and refer to the things I spoke to in the opening paragraph, think about a nice gesture that you can make for someone today. It doesn't have to cost anything, but if it's sincere and unexpected, it can make someone else's day.
