Yogurt, lemon, and herb dip with baby carrots and radishes

A weekend of grazing on rich food and richer wine had us all craving very simple food when we got home.  We went to the garden and picked some fresh vegetables to fill the fridge.  When we got home, Julie, Alain Passard's sous chef who's having a short stay with us after the big event, whipped up a quick and delicious yogurt dip for the fresh radishes and baby carrots that we just pulled from the ground.  It's so great I had to share the recipe with you.

It was so simple, and so wonderful with everything from the sweet carrots to even the zingy radishes.  The secret was a tiny pinch of Madras curry powder, just enough to be interesting but not to be overwhelming.

Yogurt, lemon, and herb dip

1 cup plain yogurt
a squeeze of lemon
a pinch of salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon zest
a pinch of madras curry powder
chopped fennel fond (the green dill-like bits from the top of a fennel bulb)

In a small bowl, stir all the ingredients together well.  Taste.  It's difficult to give specific amounts ingredients here because they can vary so much.  Depending on the yogurt you use, or how sour the lemon, or how spicy the curry powder, you have to add a bit more or less.  Just use your judgment.  It's hardly rocket science.  If the consistency is a bit thick--because you use strained Greek yogurt for example--then you can just thin it out a tiny bit with milk. 

Comments

[Love Apple Farm]

Pim, while you were pulling the radishes the other day, you told me that sometimes you serve them with butter. Do you mean raw with cold butter or clarified butter, or what? It sounded intriguing. We had to take out the rest of that bed yesterday to make way for the tomatoes, and after giving two big bags to the restaurant, I need to do something with these other two bags. Radishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

[anticiplate]

oooh! Honey and curry and fennel! Oh my. This just screams spring dinner party!

[Babeth]

"Love Apple Farm" I think Pim is also serving them the "French way": you clean and trim a bit the radishes you dip them in a bit of salt and add a small piece of cold butter on top. Super good;-)

[barbara]

Pim this would be a perfect entry for LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow.

[Lexa]

That's so funny, made a lemon-herb-goat cheese dip for "dinner" last night-- yum! The goat cheese taste is cut a little with sour cream and cream cheese, with a little whipping cream added to smooth it out. I used tarragon and mint, with lemon zest and a little lemon juice, but you could use any combo of herbs, I'm sure! Lexa

[Helen]

Curry powder has definitely become one of my best 'secret ingredients' lately. I love the look of those radishes, they must have been so delicious when freshly picked like that.

[Catherine]

Dear Pim,
I loved your Creme Fraiche, Lemon, and herb dip with radishes from Sunset Magazine. That is so excellent, it is now a regular in my kitchen.

[Denise & Lenny]

This looks fantastic. Thanks for the dipping recipe, will be making this often.

Wish we could had made the recent food events - what a blast!

[m@ler.ru]

Nice comment, very nice info!!!

[taste memory girl]

I love it! Oh how upsetting; I would absolutely have no access to radishes and carrots as those where I'm at! It's at least a pleasure to view them from here....

[Anne (Papilles et Pupilles)]

So fresh, so yummy !

[EAT!]

I just had one of those weekends eating way more unhealthy food than I should have. I will be whipping up a little dip for my vegetables - thanks for posting the recipe!

[chiffonade]

Those veggies look incredible and what a tempting dip! Have you ever tried the Greek style yogurts such as Fage? The 0% variety is very good for you and the nice thick yogurt makes a rich base for dipping mixtures.

<3 Chiffonade