Catsup!

OMG, where has the time gone? I’m the worst blogger EVER. Next few posts will play catch-up (LOOK AT THE TITLE OF THIS POST DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE CLEVER WHAT?), as I try to atone for lack of posting due to feeling quite poorly over the last few months from some medications I’ve been on. DISLIKE AND MOVING ON …

Smashed Chickpea and Radish Dip

Two big stalks of basil were casualties in the strong storms we had over the last few weeks. I pulled them up and took the leaves off and stuck them in a bag in the fridge, intending to make a chickpea dip with it and the radishes from the CSA. Of course, then I got busy and the radishes and basil languished in the fridge until today, when I felt super guilty about leaving them so long, and also needed to make room for this weekend’s haul.

So. Recipe (hopefully I will remember to take a photo before I eat it all):

(I got this from the Martha Stewart mag a good few years ago.)

What You Need:
2 cans (15 oz each) unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed, reserve 1/2 c. liquid
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. fresh basil, coarsely chopped
8 radishes, chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
salt and pepper
9 whole-wheat pitas, split, quartered, toasted

What You Do:
Lightly mash chickpeas, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until creamy but still chunky. Stir in basil, radishes, garlic, and lemon juice. Stir in reserved chickpea liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dip holds together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with pita chips.

Easy, right? I think I might like this more than hummus. We eat it with untoasted pita, seasoned and toasted pita, carrots and celery and the like … whatever. I’ve had a touch of heartburn the last few days, so I left the garlic out this time, and I am not sure if I miss it all that much. I tend to not add all the salt and pepper in at the beginning, as I find sometimes it can be too much (same with lemon juice, now that I think about it) – just taste as you go and you’ll be fine! There’s a note that says the dip can be refrigerated for up to three days, but I can’t say anything about that, as it’s never lasted that long.

inaugural post

I’ve been sitting on this blog address for about two months.  I had a blog for many years, which I loved – but then I got busy and stopped posting.  I still own the domain name, and have often thought about starting it up again, but it seemed like such an uphill battle that I never quite got around to it.

So, a fresh start, it is.

Loquacious baker? For real? Yeah, I don’t know.  All hilarious variations of my old blog name were taken, and well – I talk a lot and I love to bake.  And it’s got a good ring to it.

My intention with this new site is to put up recipes I love, photos I’ve taken (though there is a link to my flickr account in the footer of the site), books I like, etc. I like Facebook, but I miss the in-depthness of my blog.  Facebook really limits my ability to rant, and I hate having to change the permissions for who can see what post. :)

Anyway. Let’s do this!