The Back Yard Lemon Tree

I recently watched the Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix and it made me nostalgic for those bacchanalian feasts of the eighties, whole wheels of brie, baskets of strawberries and tables of beautifully arranged vegetable crudites. The eighties was all about excess even if it was in the form of masses of vegetable crudites.

On Sunday I had a friend over for afternoon tea. I was going to go all out for a full afternoon tea but it’s been hot in Sydney and in the end, my friend bought cakes from the Wellington Cake Bakery in Bondi and I just made this dip and served it with vegetable crudites. Of course my simple platter of vegetable crudites was no where near the lavish, extravagance of Martha Stewart but they were so delicious and matched perfectly with the herby goodness of this Greek Goddess Dip. I feel like I’ve underestimated the power of the vegetable crudite, but just as fruit always tastes better when it’s cut up on a platter so does the humble vegetable crudite.

Greek Goddess Dip

Adapted from Melissa Clark via the NYT

• 1/2 cup packed dill
• 1/2 cup packed parsley
• 1/2 cup packed mint
• 1/3 cup packed basil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 green onions (scallions) chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• Pinch of sea salt (or more to taste)
• Freshly black pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional)
• vegetable crudite or pita chips for dipping

1. Place herbs – dill, parsley, mint and basil with lemon juice and salt in bowl of food processor and process until finely chopped. Then drizzle in olive oil until well incorporated.
2. Add feta cheese and blend until smooth. Add yogurt and pulse until mixed through. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Add mayonnaise if you want a richer dip.
3. Serve with vegetable crudites or pita chips. Dip will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days