With so many variations of Spinach Artichoke Dip out there, how do you find just one to love?!
This recipe was inspired by Liz of OMA’s Gourmet Garlic. We started bantering back and forth on this thing called twitter, maybe you’ve heard of it, and I learned she sells garlic grown in her garden in Aldersyde, Alberta.
Growing garlic runs in the family Liz explains, her dad received some garlic from a Russian friend in the mid ’80’s and grew it for years in his backyard garden. Her mom carried on with the growing of the garlic after her father passed away. In 2003 Liz received some garlic from her mom and decided to plant some of the cloves in her own garden. They started to sprout and 9 cloves produced 9 bulbs of garlic. This is where Liz’s story begins.
Garlic is planted in the Spring over 6-8 weeks as this offers the best harvest, Liz says. The garlic cures for four – six weeks before selling the fresh begins in October and November.
Today this naturally grown garlic is sold to several local Chefs, restaurants and stores in fresh or dehydrated forms. And if she’s not busy enough tending her garden and weeds, Liz writes a column affectionately called the βTales of the Stinking Rose, in the Wild Rose Countryβ in βThe Garlic Newsβ, a quarterly Canadian publication.
I recently met Liz for the first time when I picked up some garlic granules and dehydrated garlic. She had me taste just 1 or 2 itty bitty specks of the granules before I left. That’s all you need Liz said and by golly she was right. I was my own sweet stinking rose for the rest of the day from those two little itty bittys samples.
OMA’s Gourmet Garlic is available fresh and dehydrated (powder, granules or spice mill grade). You can find her on Facebook: OMA’s Gourmet Garlic.
I used a light sprinkling of the garlic granules in this Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is a small recipes and serves two nicely. Or one who doesn’t want to share.
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh spinach
- 1 14.5 oz can of artichoke hearts rough chopped
- 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup old white cheddar cheese grated
- red pepper flakes
- garlic granules or garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Over medium high heat add a sprinkle of water. Toss in your fresh spinach and cook 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Put on cutting board and rough chop. Toss into bowl.
- Add artichokes through white cheddar cheese reserving 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Toss in a pinch of hot pepper flakes and sprinkle of your garlic granules or powder. Gently mix in and pour into your prepared dish.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes and during the last couple of minute sprinkle on the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Serve hot with your favourite chips or crackers.
- Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-artichoke-and-spinach-dip-recipe.html?oc=linkback
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