It’s time to share one of my most favorite things to make at the end of summer–“Mean Dip.” I always like to grow a variety of peppers from mild bell to some version of atomic-devil-death. Jalapenos definitely get pride of place as I find them to be the superior pepper. I ususally grow two or three plants. I also have Hungarian Wax, Pablanos, Cayenne, Anaheim, and something this year called Purple Death. I’ve been sharing here and there with neighbors and friends as the plants have been putting on fruit, but by September, I’m able to do a big harvest. Yesterday, I got enough to make a big batch of Mean Dip.
First step preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Get a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil all over. Next, slice up all your peppers, the more seeds and the hotter the peppers, the meaner the dip. I also do one full bulb of garlic, peeled and each clove halved. I make sure the pan is thickly covered with the peppers and garlic and I top with a little more olive oil and some ground cumin.
Then I bake these beauties for 25 minutes. Once they’re out of the oven, I put them into a food processor and blend with a little more olive oil, some red wine vinegar, and salt & pepper. Don’t ask me how much, I eyeball it. Do what looks good. Once it’s fully blended, I take it all out and then use about 1/4-1/3 c of the pepper blend to one brick of cream cheese. I ended up with four cups of the pepper blend and ended up mixing it a little at a time with eight bricks of cream cheese.
This isn’t the meanest of the Mean Dips I’ve ever made, and I suspect the next round will have a couple more of the Purple Death peppers. This round only had one. My nephew, Brennan, said it could be meaner. Mary, my kiddo, called it “Spicy Nice.” I can tell you this though, it’s addictive and ridiculously delicious. Eat it with tortilla chips, crackers, cut veggies, anything you can think of.
There’s a reason I only make this once a year.
Feryl Files 