Say you have TMJ issues and your jaw is really hurting. Maybe you decide the solution is culinary.
You conclude, finally, that you can no longer curb your carb craving with carrots and celery to scoop up your super healthy bean dip snack. Your jaw says, something soft, please. As you begin packing your lunch for the next day, you ponder the veggie drawer of your refrigerator. It calls out to you: the beautiful radish impulse buy from the farmer’s market. It’s unassuming white on the outside, but gorgeous magenta inside.
You think, I’ll sort of roast it to make it soft enough for my jaw, but leave it with enough structural integrity to scoop up dip. You turn oven on to 400 degrees. You go back and forth on bake-broil-bake-broil and settle on bake. You line a pan with foil and slice gorgeous radish medium-think. Spray with olive oil and stick in oven.
Sometime later, it reaches desired consistency. Cooking has mellowed the sharp bite by just a bit and added a touch of sweetness. This should go on my blog, you think. Transfer slices to plastic container and pack up unbelievably yummy balsamic and roasted garlic bean dip.
Overnight, unbeknownst to you, gases build up inside container.
During your second block class, hours to go until lunch, you open the container, pluck out a limp slice of radish and dunk into delicious bean dip. It’s not great, but it doesn’t hurt to eat. You consider the experiment a success. Meanwhile, five of your students in the rows closest to your desk pass out from the gaseous cloud. The others complain of stench.
Well, the bean dip was good, anyway.
Balsamic and Roasted Garlic Bean Dip
- 2 cups white, navy, or pinto beans (I used soaked and pre-cooked for better taste and presumably less gas, but you can use canned)
- 1 tsp good olive oil
- 2-3 tsp good balsamic vinegar
- 3 or more cloves roasted garlic
- salt and pepper to taste (fresh ground is best)
- water to desired consistency–about 1/4 cup, but it depends on how wet your beans were
Puree all the ingredients in your food processor. Enjoy with a spoon. Or with anything you like to dip. Even with a stinky soft radish.
