Cilantro Dip

This is a great way to use up a lot of cilantro at once and make use of cilantro stems. The stems actually contain much more flavor than the leaves and add a huge punch to recipes where their texture won’t interfere. This recipe is very flexible and adjusts well to your taste.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (whole and/or raw almonds also work just fine, as does almond meal or flour)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno (with or without seeds to your taste)
• 1 packed cup cilantro, stems and all
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Toss everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Serve as a dip with crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies, or use as a spicy pesto on pasta. (If using whole almonds, it can speed up the process to pulse them first on their own until roughly chopped, and then add the other ingredients).

Submitted by Nora McGinnis, Tucson CSA