Asparagus Dip!

Sometimes you go on an asparagus-buying spree, only to realize you already have a pile of the stuff at home, in your fridge, judging you.  Oh yes, vegetables can be terribly judgmental.  Especially when you bypass the broccoli for some tasty bacon.  Don't think its not staring you down.  It is.  Hard.  Every wonder why cruciferous veggies sometimes make you gassy?  It's called vengeance.

But don't quote me on that =)

Hookay so asparagus dip - I know!  It sounds weird.  But don't run for the door!  I've been making this dip for years and have been DYING to post it on P&C forever now.  It's so good!  It's also cursed.  Every freaking time I make this dip the clouds come out, resulting in overcast lighting and dull photos.  You'd think after making it 100+ times I'd catch a break?  Nope!  My photo insecurity has kept me from posting it for long enough, so I'm saying eff it and posting my crappy photos so I can finally share this dip with you.  But if you ever come to visit you'll need to dive in and eat fast.... otherwise I'll have inhaled the entire bowl before you can even contemplate the social ramifications of double-dipping.

Baked Asparagus Dip

what's in it?

1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 heaping cup of pureed asparagus
[about 25 thin stalks, with about a 1/2 inch of the ends trimmed off]
[if you find mutant-large spears, use less, take a wild guess, puree, then measure]
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder or dried onion
a pinch of red pepper flakes
a sprinkle of parsley
1/4 tsp salt

top it off!
top with an extra sprinkle of parm cheese [or italian 5 cheese blend]
some yummy chopped artichoke hearts
& a layer of panko breadcrumbs

variety is the spice of life:
a yummy alternative to cream cheese would be to use 1/2 cup kefir spreadable yogurt cheese or grab some creamy goat cheese instead!  I make it all three ways -- it just depends what I have on hand!

  I make the dip all three ways depending on what's in my fridge,
but ohmygooooosh I just really really want cream cheese sometimes =) worth it!

get cooking!
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350F.  Trim the ends of your asparagus and blanch in a thin layer of boiling water for about a minute or so, just long enough to turn the stalks bright green and tender.  Immediately plunge the spears in an ice bath or rinse with super cold water to halt the cooking process and then strain.  Add them to the food processor and pulse to puree.  You'll want one heaping cup of gorgeous green puree.  Add smashed garlic, spices, and cheeses to the processor and pulse to whip ingredients together.  Taste with your finger and adjust spices to taste.  Move mixture to a baking dish and top with a little extra grated cheese and a thin layer of panko bread crumbs.  Top with a barely there drizzle of olive oil and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Serve alongside white corn tortilla chips, fluffy pita bread, zucchini rounds, and even some blanched + chilled asparagus spears.  Yes, you read that right!  Though it borderline feels vaguely like veggie-cannibalism, dipping asparagus IN asparagus dip is a little slice of awesome.  Though zucchini fares quite well if you're uncomfortable with the controversy of the ordeal =)

Since I'm cooking for one here, I blanch/cook the entire bunch of asparagus, use half for the dip and then use the remainder for salads, quiches, pasta dishes, and sushi.  Or sometimes I just eat it chilled, straight up.  It's one of my favorite snacks to nibble on while I'm cooking.  So whether you're making the dip in the snack-sized portion above or doubling the recipe, cook the whole batch of asparagus regardless.  Its good for you.  And yummy.

so... how was it?
There's a reason I've been making this dip for years -- I LOVE it!  The texture of  is super similar to a fluffy cheese souffle [um, YUM!] and the taste?  It's like hot, bubbly spinach and artichoke dip.  Plus asparagus is in season, so grab a stalk or two of these delicious spears and get cooking!