I Love Lemon!

Today, I got my boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. Along with the required boxes of Thin Mints, I ordered a box of the Lemon Chalet Cremes, a new flavor this year. The Lemon Chalet Cremes are sandwich cookies with lemon cream filling. Even though I stared at the cookies on my desk all day, I didn’t open them, so I can’t tell you how they taste. But, I can tell you how much I enjoy lemon in cookies, cakes, tarts, teas, pastas, and chicken. You name it. If it has lemon in it; I like it.
A few weeks ago, I hosted some friends for a light dinner of panini sandwiches, spinach salad, and a lemon cake for dessert. The recipe for the lemon cake came from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. This cake has a triple dose of lemon. You put lemon zest and lemon juice into the cake batter, then you boil lemon juice and sugar to make a syrup to pour over the cake, and then you mix lemon juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze. The result was a light and lemony cake everyone enjoyed, and it satisfied my lemon craving, for a time at least.

Next time I make this cake, I will poke holes with a skewer in the top of the cake, so when I pour the lemon syrup over the cake, it will sink into the cake rather than puddle on the cookie sheet beneath the cake. When I made the cake this time, the syrup sank into the very top of the cake where there was a slight split. That spot was the best part of the cake. The glaze and the syrup intersected for a moist, tart and sweet bite.

Lemon Cake
½ pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Syrup
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the over to 350°. Grease, flour and line the bottom of two loaf pans with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment for about 5 minutes. Then add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine ¼ cup lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter between the two pans, smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until cake tester comes out clean.

Combine ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

After the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes, then take them out of the pans and onto a cooling rake over a tray. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer. Pour the lemon syrup over the cakes slowly. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool, whisk confectioners sugar and the lemon juice until smooth. Pour over the top of the cakes, and let drizzle down the sides.


In my next foray with lemon, I used Smitten Kitchen’s Whole Lemon Tart recipe. This tart got mixed reviews from my audience. I made it on a weeknight, and brought it into work the next day; although, my family implored me to leave some at home, which of course I did. Most of my co-workers said they liked the tart, but I’m not sure if they were just being nice. One co-worker told me the tart wasn’t her favorite, and she didn’t mind telling me since the recipe wasn’t my original recipe. I wasn’t insulted. I liked to hear her honest feedback. I thought the tart was tasty. It was not as sweet as lemon bars, but the texture was close. I liked the flavor of the tart, but I didn’t enjoy chewing on the bits of lemon not pulverized by the food processor. I will probably make this tart again, but the next time I do, I will pulse the filling in the food processor longer. My love for lemon is undimmed!

Whole Lemon Tart
from Smitten Kitchen

1 partially baked 9-inch (24-cm) Great Unshrinkable Tart Shell, or your favorite sweet tart shell
1 average-sized Meyer lemon (about 4 1/2 ounces; 130 grams), you can use a regular lemon, but it will not be as sweet.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Preheat the oven 325°. Put the tart shell on a baking sheet. Slice the lemon into thin pieces, and remove the seeds. Add the lemon and sugar into the food processor. Pulse the lemon and sugar mixture in the food processor, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the lemon is thoroughly pureed and blended with the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and, wisk in the whole egg and the yolk, followed by the cornstarch and melted butter. Pour the filling into the crust but be sure to leave 1/4 inch between the top of your filling and the top edge of your crust.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the tart for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, lightly browned and set. Don’t take the tart out until it is clearly set, however — you’re looking for a slight jiggle only. Transfer the tart, still on the baking sheet, to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing it from the pan. Serve the tart at room temperature.

Dinner en Mi Casa

I love cooking in the winter. I love the braises, the roasts and the pasta. But, I am getting a little tired of winter. I know, I really shouldn’t complain. Winter in northern California is mild, and we desperately need the rain that’s been falling for the last couple of weeks, but I did want to feel a glimmer of summer. So, what should I serve for a dinner party in the middle of February to make it feel like summer? Why, a Mexican fiesta of course!

The Menu
Queso Fundido with Chorizo
Pork Tacos with assorted toppings
New Style Black Beans
Green Onion Slaw
Tres Leche (Milk Cake)
Sopapillas

Brian mixes a mean margarita, Tammy brought the Tres Leche cake and the sopapillas, and Paula, Sandy and Beth brought food and drinks for the kids. Thanks for the contributions!
I had made the Queso Fundido once before, and it is really delicious, but it does have a tendency to separate. The first time I made the dip, I had placed it in the fondue pot to keep it warm. But, the sterno ran out, so the dip did not get too hot. This time I warmed the dip, and put it in the fondue pot with a full can of sterno underneath it. I will not do this again. The dip became too hot, and separated into a stingy mass. The dip still tasted delicious, but the texture did not work well. I recommend you heat the dip, and heat the water under the fondue pot, then once you put the dip in the fondue pot, turn off the sterno. The dip should stay warm enough this way.

Queso Fundido with Chorizo
Adapted from Bon Appetit (7/07)

3 large poblano chiles
4 chorizo sausage links
3 cloves of garlic
12 green onions, chopped
1 ¼ cups chopped fresh cilantro
2 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 ½ cups grated whole milk mozzarella
1 ¼ tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup (or more) chicken broth
Tortilla Chips

Char the poblanos until blackened on all sides over a gas flame or under a broiler. Then enclose in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop the chiles.

Saute the sausage and garlic in a large skillet until browned, breaking the sausage into small pieces. Add the green onions and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro and the poblanos.

In a bowl, toss both cheeses with the cornstarch. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in large pot, and add the cheese one cup at a time. Whisk after each addition until almost melted. Remove from heat and add the chorizo mixture. You can thin with more broth (¼ cup at a time) if the mixture is too thick. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, and serve with tortilla chips. Serves 10.
My next trick was to mix in the winter cooking I love with my summer theme. The recipe for the pork tacos calls for braising the meat in a crock-pot, and the result was tender flavorful meat. I took the advise of the Food Network magazine and offered sliced radishes, cotija (a Mexican cheese salty like Feta, but without the sour flavor), sliced avocado, and limes. We would have had chopped mango if I had come home with a mango instead of a papaya, but no one seemed to mind. I also offered the Green Onion Slaw instead of plain sliced cabbage. I changed the Green Onion Slaw a bit by leaving out the sliced red onion this time. The green onions offered enough of an onion flavor. We piled the pork and all of these toppings onto warmed flour and corn tortillas.

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos
I adapted this recipe from the Food Network Magazine.

3 whole dried California Chiles
3 whole dried New Mexico Chiles
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
½ medium white onion roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
3 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks
Freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Corn and Flour tortillas
Assorted Toppings (see above)

Microwave the chiles and garlic until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles and peel the garlic, and put them into a food processor or blender. Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, and add the chile sauce and fry until thick and fragrant about 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until slightly thickened.

Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks, season all over with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the crock-pot, and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or until tender. After the pork has finished cooking discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick, and shred the pork with two forks. Serve the pork in the tortillas with the assorted toppings. Serves 6-8
One of the joys of getting together with this group of friends is everyone is a really good cook, and we all like to share our new recipes with each other. This is a real treat as the hostess. Tammy brought not one but two desserts for the evening. She really outdid herself. She brought a tres leches (milk cake) and sopapillas.

Tres Leches Cake
Tammy got the recipe from allrecipes.com, but she made some changes. She used Pillsbury Cake Flour and sifted it. She also used twice the amount of vanilla in both instances, and 1 pint of whipping cream.
Sopapillas
Both Tammy and Brian both remember sopapillas from their childhoods in Colorado and Oklahoma respectively. Sopapillas are a deep fried donut type pastry you serve with cinnamon and sugar, honey or nutella (although I think the Nutella might not be traditional). Tammy used allrecipes.com again for the sopapillas. She did recommend you roll the dough out thinner than the recipe calls for (about ¼ inch). She says they puff up better the thinner they are.

Quick Take Tuesday

I received a panini press for Christmas last year, but I never pulled it out of the cupboard. Finally one night, out of “what’s for dinner” desperation, I pulled the press out and made grilled cheese sandwiches. It was a simple recipe with a little cheese, a little onion, and grilled bread. Delicious!

That night I began a panini recipe hunt. Williams-Sonoma’s website is a great resource for panini recipes. I adapted a couple of their recipes. My family enjoyed the salami, roasted red pepper and provolone panini for dinner. I served the salami panini and a prosciutto, apple and Gruyere panini with a big spinach salad and a bottle of Chardonnay to some girl friends for dinner. And, soup and panini sandwiches make a satisfying winter dinner.

Salami, Roasted Red Pepper and Provolone Panini
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices sourdough or ciabatta bread, each 1/2 inch thick
1 ounce thinly sliced Italian hard salami
1 ounce sliced provolone cheese
1/4 cup sliced roasted red bell peppers
1 tablespoon grainy mustard

Preheat an electric panini press or preheat a grill pan. Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with the olive oil. Lay a bread slice, oiled side down, and arrange the salami and cheese on the bread. Add the bell peppers and top with the other bread slice, oiled side up.

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker or place on a grill pan (if using a grill pan, flip once) and cook until the sandwich golden and crispy and the filling is hot. Cut in half, and serve immediately. Serves 1.

Prosciutto, Apple and Gruyere Panini
2 slices country-style bread
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
2 slices Gruyere cheese
2 slices prosciutto
1/4 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
Directions:
Preheat an electric panini maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Arrange the cheese, prosciutto and apple slices on one bread slice. Top with the other bread slice, oiled side up.

February Snow Trip

Our President’s weekend tradition has, for the last six years, involved mountains, a cabin and snow. This year we were really looking forward to our trip to Lake Tahoe. The mountains had received new snow, and since our last trip involved precious little snow, we couldn’t wait to play in the white stuff.
The kids took ski and snow boarding lessons on Saturday, and I knew we would be hungry when we came down off the mountain, so I planned to have this warm Brie dip on hand when we came in. (I also had a pot roast in the crock-pot waiting for us, but I will share that recipe another time.)
The Baked Brie with Crudités recipe was in Bon Appetite’s R.S.V.P. section, and it was reportedly from a restaurant near a ski location in Colorado. I tore this recipe out of Bon Appétit back in 1994. I've made the dip many times before, and I knew it would be perfect for our ski trip. This dip really hits the spot after a day in the snow!

Baked Brie with Crudités
Adapted from Bon Appétit (3/94).

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 ounces, Brie, rind trimmed, cut into pieces
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 18-ounce round sourdough bread loaf

Paprika
Assorted cut-up vegetables
Baguette, sliced

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, and add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Place cream cheese and Brie in a microwave safe bowl and heat at 50% until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in onion mixture, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut off the top of the sourdough loaf, and scoop out the center of the loaf. Pour cheese mixture into the bread bowl and place the top back on. Wrap with foil, and place in a preheated 400° oven for about an hour. When it is hot and bubbly, remove from oven, unwrap and sprinkle with paprika. Serve warm with vegetables and sliced baguette.

Quick Take Tuesday

Quick Black Bean Tacos
Tuesdays, usually call for a quick dinner, and Bon Appétit (2/09) has a recipe that fits the bill. I noticed this recipe in my quick flip through the magazine, and then I saw it again on Smitten Kitchen’s blog (I have to try her Whole Lemon Tart). She didn’t like the coleslaw in the taco recipe, and she recommended using a Bobby Flay recipe instead. I decided to take her word for it, and make the Bobby Flay coleslaw. I just had to hope my kids would like a black bean taco with coleslaw and feta cheese. Hmm…it was worth a try.

I made small changes to both the taco and the coleslaw recipes. I only used ¼ teaspoon of the cumin in the black beans. I like cumin, but only in small quantities. And, in the slaw recipe, I used the jalapeno chili sauce I make and keep in my freezer instead of the serrano peppers the recipe called for.

I knew my daughter would try the tacos, and probably like them, but I was worried my son wouldn’t like them. I had him try the coleslaw and he said he liked it. So, I left off the feta cheese from his tacos, but piled on the coleslaw. He ate them and asked for seconds. My daughter liked them too. Both kids said I should make the tacos again. High praise indeed!

Black Bean Tacos
1 15-ounce can black beans drained
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
White or yellow corn tortillas
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
3 teaspoons canola oil
Green Onion Slaw

Place the black beans and cumin in a bowl and partially mash. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place tortillas in skillet. Add ¼ cup of bean mixture in the middle of the tortilla, and cook one minute. Fold in half and cook about one minute on each side or until golden brown. Fill tacos with feta cheese and Green Onion Slaw.

Green Onion Slaw

1 cup green onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded
 (I used pre-packaged coleslaw mix)
1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Blend, vinegar, chili sauce, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and oil with a whisk until emulsified. Place cabbage, green onions and red onions in a bowl, add the dressing and stir until combined. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fundraiser Planning Dinner

We got together with friends at our house on Friday night to plan our next fundraising cocktail party. This will be the third cocktail party we have hosted to raise money for our children’s school. The details of the fundraiser are hush-hush, but I can tell you what we had for dinner. We decided to meet over pizza, which is great for a busy Friday.
My mother-in-law taught me if you set a beautiful table and add something homemade, your guests will remember what a nice time they had in your home, and not that you ordered takeout. So, I took her advice to heart, and set the table with the bird and fish dishes she gave me, and I made an appetizer and a dessert. Paula brought a green salad and wine, and Sandy brought dessert for the kids and wine, so we were set for a fun evening!
Fig and Onion Bruschetta
I am still obsessing about homemade ricotta, so I decided Bon Appetit’s Fig and Onion Bruschetta would be the appetizer for the evening. Fine Cooking’s ricotta recipe was better tasting, but this one was really easy. Once the ricotta was made, I moved on to making the other toppings. This recipe frustrated me. The ingredient list is on one page and the instructions are on another page, so I had to constantly go back and forth between the pages (a small pet peeve of mine). Everyone liked these, but you really needed every ingredient in each bite for the full effect. Don’t omit the oregano. It was surprisingly important in the final taste.

I was given the recipe for Terrina di Cioccolato when I attended a cooking class Palio d'Asti in San Francisco. I was frying up arancini in the front of the restaurant while my Dad’s wife Lynn was in the back making this wonderful dessert (the arancini were good too. I will share the recipe later.) I made a double recipe of the terrine for a dinner party, and I only used one. So, I had this dessert on hand for our planning party.

Terrina di Cioccolato Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
7 Tablespoons butter
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
4 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 ¼ cups cream
1 Tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoon powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon liqueur*
1 Tablespoon hot water

Spray loaf pan with Pam and line with plastic wrap. Make sure there is at least 2 inches overhang all the way around. Lightly spay the inside with Pam.

Whip cream with powdered sugar to medium peaks: set aside and chill.

Microwave chocolate and butter on medium power at 30 second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Sift in cocoa and whisk until smooth; set aside. Whip yolks, sugar and salt together over a simmering bain marie until pale yellow and very thick. Whisk in liqueur and water, then melted chocolate.

Fold cream into chocolate mixture a third at a time. Fill loaf pan an gently pang out any air bubbles. Fold plastic over the top to cover the chocolate mixture. Freeze until set.

Mimi at Palio used Amaretto and folded in 1/3 cup of chopped torrone. I used Grand Marnier and I didn’t use torrone, because I was making this dessert for someone allergic to nuts. Both liqueurs were delicious, but I prefer the amaretto.

Coffee Crunch Cookies

This was my second attempt at Coffee Crunch Cookies from Bon Appétit (2/09). My first attempt ended in cookies that were a hair’s breadth away from being burned. My husband and kids were kind and ate them. My son even called them, “the best cookies he has ever had.” But, I was disappointed. They tasted good, but the texture was too crispy and crunchy, and I had to throw some of the darker cookies away. I wanted to give these cookies another chance, so I tried again. This time I lowered the temperature in my convection oven, and I watched the cookies like a hawk. I’m not sure I cooked them long enough this time (sigh), but the cookies were better. Their texture was better (less crunchy and more chewy), and I think the flavor improved as well. These cookies are best enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.

Quick Take Tuesday

Olive Oil
Bon Appétit has an article about organic California olive oil. My favorite olive oil, Apollo, was listed. I have been using it since 2006, and I have loved it ever since. (Is it wrong to love olive oil?)

Ricotta Cheese (Again)
Last Tuesday, I told you about the homemade ricotta cheese recipe I wanted to try. I’m not sure, but I think I have stumbled upon a food trend! Bon Appétit, Food and Wine and The New York Times all had recipes for homemade ricotta cheese. Technically it is not ricotta. Real ricotta is made from the whey left over from making mozzarella. The homemade ricotta was sweet and creamy. I tried the ricotta in a recipe for Creamy Baked Penne from Food and Wine. Yum!

Elva's Salsa

I have a dear friend at work who is a wonderful cook (as well as a fabulous person). Every year for many years, Elva would gift everyone at work with a Cinco de Mayo tostada feast. She would make refried beans with chorizo and all of the toppings needed for tostadas, but the best part of the whole meal was her salsa. It was delicious and fresh, and I really wanted the recipe. Elva was happy to give it to me, but I was always intimidated to make what she called her chili sauce, so I had to wait for a year until she made her feast again before I could stuff myself with her salsa. Finally, last year, armed with a notepad, I grilled her for the recipe for the chili sauce and the salsa. I wrote down every word she said, and I gathered my courage and tried her recipe. Now, my kids enjoy Elva's salsa as much as I do.

Elva's Salsa
Elva makes her chili sauce and keeps it in the freezer so she can have the chili sauce whenever she needs it.

Chili Sauce
4 or 5 Jalapeno peppers (you can use Serrano peppers if you like it hotter)
2 garlic cloves
Fill a saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Stem the peppers and put them into the boiling water and boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the boiling water, and place them into a blender or food processor with the garlic. Process until smooth. Place into small plastic containers and freeze until needed.

Salsa
3 cups of chopped tomatoes
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon chili sauce (or to taste)
2 avocado cut into chunks
Mix all the ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.

Superbowl Snacks

I love Superbowl parties. I usually spend more time socializing than actually watching the game, but there is something really special about a Superbowl party. Maybe it is because all of my weekend chores are done, and I can just relax and enjoy my friends. Maybe it is because I can visit and watch the game while I nosh on all the great party food around (you have to love an appetizer potluck). Maybe it is because if you eat while you are watching a football game, you won't gain any weight. I wish!

Whatever the reason, I had a great time. Les was able to attend for a little while before he went to work. The food was great, the company was fun and the weather was beautiful! I was even able to sit outside to watch the game for a while (under the patio heater of course). My contribution to the party was chicken wings and sun dried tomato dip.



Wings with Salsa Verde
Adapted from Guy Fieri's recipe in the new Food Network magazine.

Chicken Brine
8 cups of water
¼ cup kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons black peppercorns
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
5 pounds of party wings
Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan, and add salt, garlic and peppercorns. Remove from heat, and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Put the chicken in a gallon size zipper bag and add the brine. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Rub for the Wings
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
Mix all the ingredients in a gallon zipper bag. Drain and rinse the wings. Pat them dry and put them in the bag with the rub. Coat the wings evenly with the rub. You can broil immediately, or you can refrigerate for up to one day. Preheat the broiler. Place chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet, and broil for 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue to broil for another 5-8 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Salsa Verde
½ cup fresh basil
½ cup fresh parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt (to taste)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all of the above ingredients except the oil into a food processor and slowly add the oil and puree until smooth. Serve the salsa with the wings.


Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
This recipe was adapted from a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten.

¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
10-15 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 scallions thinly sliced
Puree all the ingredients except the scallions in a food processor. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.