I had to laugh; when I brought this raw dip (the second raw dip I’ve ever made) to a pool party last week, a raw foodie friend exclaimed, “Your dips are so much tastier than mine!” Like I was some kind of expert raw dip maker… SHE’s the expert. If she only knew how little I know about raw food… I think it was just a typical case of enjoying new flavors and novelty of things that other people make (I know I always do). Bella preferred the first dip I made with sunflower seeds and almonds.
This recipe is super-simple; it basically requires a half dozen ingredients thrown into the blender. The only pre-prep thing is soaking the raw walnuts in advance. I soak them in a mesh strainer in a glass bowl overnight in the fridge. If I hadn’t gotten to it that day I would’ve rinsed them and let them keep soaking.
The recipe is from the same book I borrowed from my s-i-l, Corrina, and it’s called Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet. (Although now I have my eye on another cookbook I saw at my other s-i-l’s house, Vegan with a Vengeance – I hear it has a fabulous carrot cake recipe…)
Walnut Pâté
1 cup soaked raw walnuts
1 T fresh lemon juice (I didn’t have lemons on hand, so I used rice vinegar to go with the tamari flavor)
1 tsp Tamari
1/4 tsp garlic powder (roasted garlic would be good here)
Salt to taste
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 T minced onion (didn’t have any, so I skipped this)
Blend everything in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve with crudité or crackers. Can also be used as a sandwich filling.
