Spicy shiitake dip with wild greens

 

Happy Easter!

A celebration of victory of life over death. A resurrection. That’s why it always falls on March or April. Precisely when the nature is busy getting back to life.

I needed to make something. I felt like something savory and very spicy. So, my fantasy and ingredients in the kitchen – and came out a dip. Spicy and uplifting. As expected. Warming mouth, face and brain too. (Sometimes the latter needs to be stimulated this way). Shiitake mushrooms gave it a somewhat chemical taste and smell. My sister even asked: did you put death caps there? Agree, there is something poisonous about shiitake.

Dare to make?

 

 

 

 

You need

• shiitake mushrooms
• walnuts
• tomato
• sweet pepper
• fresh jalapeno pepper
• lemon
• apple cider vinegar
• onion
• parsley
• dried chili pepper
• caraway seeds
• nutmeg
• salt

 

 

 

 

 

1. Soak walnuts in apple cider vinegar water for at least 6 hours.
2. Blend one tomato, half of sweet pepper, half of onion, half of lemon (leave peel on if organic), one jalapeno and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Pour a bit of water if doesn’t blend.
3. Add walnuts and shiitake. Blend. Continue adding both until the mixture is thick enough. Shiitake contain vitamin B12, remember?
4. Once done throw in finely chopped parsley. I crushed nutmeg on top of vegetables which paired nice with the dip, so you might want to put it into the dip as well. Add salt if you feel like it.
5. Then sprinkle crushed chili pepper and caraway seeds on top. Serve with vegetables and mushrooms.

 

The three beautiful bunches you see on the photo are wild greens from the yard. I think they were the first plants to emerge, along with garlic greens. Some are already flowering! Edible. Untamed and wild food. Yet generous in tasty mood-sparking juices. Creasy greens is their name. They can live through the winter, under the snow, and stay green all the way! Hence, they are also called winter cress. Very hardy little creatures. Belonging to the mustard family they are slightly pungent.

I will say just one thing – these plants are astonishingly high in vitamin C. In earlier days they were eaten to prevent scurvy.

Look for them in your yard! Much better than the stuff you get in store.