Summertime, and livin' is easy...

I'm always on the lookout for simple, make-ahead recipes suitable for al fresco dinning during the warm months of summer.  This versatile dip/spread really fits the bill.  Just whiz a few ingredients in the food processor and it's ready.  Serve it as a dip with pita and veggies, or smeared on a slice of grilled rustic bread topped with roasted cherry tomatoes for a fantastic backyard lunch.  

A big thanks to the lovely Nicholetta for posting her delicious recipe for Whipped Feta with Dill, Shallots and Chives on Pepper and Paint last spring.  I tried it immediately, and loved it.  As often happens when I make a recipe a lot, it evolves.  I tend to experiment with different ingredients and flavour combinations to see what works.  Keeping to the same basic proportions as Nicholetta's dip, I tried a variation using mellow roasted garlic in place of the shallots and dill, and the results were kind of addictive.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups crumbled feta
• 1 cup softened cream cheese
• 1 whole bulb of garlic - roasted*
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chilies

Just throw everything into the food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse until smooth.  Ready to serve!

*To roast garlic:

• Peel off the outermost papery layers of the garlic
• slice off the top of the bulb
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Wrap loosely in foil.
• Bake in a preheated 325F for 20 minutes, until outer cloves are golden..
• Once cooled, squeeze the bulb to remove the softened cloves from the skin

I usually roast 4 or 5 bulbs of garlic at a time.  Roasted garlic will keep in the fridge for a week or so, and it's a useful ingredient to have on hand for sauces, dressings, and dips like this one.