Garlicky Tahini Dip

Here’s a Lebanese tahini sauce that is a great vegetable dip. You’ll value its flavor and versatility. Thin it and drizzle over steamed broccoli spears or add some chopped herbs and it becomes a dairy-free salad dressing. Tahini is a creamy smooth paste ground from hulled sesame seeds. This high-protein spread is a defining ingredient in halvah, hummus and baba ghanoush. It’s also a tasty topping for falafel, bean dishes and casseroles.

The best tahini is made from mechanically hulled seeds and is sweet and nutty tasting.  Commercial tahini tastes bitter and slightly soapy because the seeds are processed with a caustic chemical solvent.

Makes 1/2 cup
1 or 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup tahini
Juice 1 large lemon

In a mortar, pound the garlic and salt to a paste. Stir in the tahini and then slowly stir in 1/3 cup water, or more, if you wish a thinner consistency.  Stir in lemon juice.  Add more salt if desired.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood