Zuke-A-Ganoush Dip

I am a fan of eating dip for dinner, or packing it up for a school lunch. Because that's how it is around here. And I don't mean that bacon-horseradish dip and Ruffles makes a perfectly fine meal, although, yum. But hummus and bean dips and veggie dips -- why not? The zuke dip is, like its eggplanty cousin baba ganoush, addictively garlicky, minty, and lemony, with a smoky vegetal undercurrent from the zucchini. If it's the zucchini you're most desperate to use up, the flesh of the behemoths tends to be excessively seedy and watery. So, in a pinch (I do this), you could quarter a huge one lengthwise and slice out and discard the super-seedy interior before proceeding with the recipe. That works just fine.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small or medium zucchini, scrubbed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise (or halved if they're small) and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
juice of one lime, plus half of its finely grated zest
a large handful of cilantro, washed and dried
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450ºF. Toss the zuke cubes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, then spread them in one layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and roast for around 30 minutes, until they are browned in spots and very soft, but not burnt (duh, but I thought I'd say it). Let them cool slightly so they don't cook the cilantro when you blend them.
2. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, whir together the zukes and the garlic, then add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the lime juice and zest, the cilantro, and the sugar, and blend, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until it forms a coarse puree.
3. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, then whir in the yogurt and taste the mixture, adding more salt or lime juice as needed for maximum zing. Serve with crackers or chips.

*Ingredient Tips
Unless you've been living under the Dannon factory, you know about Greek yogurt, right? Super-thick, super-rich. I love it as a dip ingredient because it adds so much creaminess without liquefying anything.

Read more about Catherine making Late Summer Dips with her family.

See all recipes from Catherine Newman's "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.