This post would perhaps be better entitled the triumph of hope over experience. It is mid-March and snow is whirling outside my window. This morning Rene Redzepi tweeted a picture of snow covered patio chairs and announced spring had come to Copenhagen. Up in Aarhus we are on snow warnings so severe there are threats that schools and businesses will close (I did not think an actual snow day was possible in Denmark). And yet, despite this, I have just bought a basil plant. For my herb garden. The herb garden I have been attempting to cultivate on my window sill. Through a Scandinavian winter. Let that sink in for a minute…
This will be my fourth basil plant. I am currently nursing the fifth mint, third thyme, and god only knows what parsley. I have come to accept that dill will be an unrequited love. I have a valiant, tragic, moribund tarragon plant languishing in the corner like a consumptive Belle Époque heroine. It was the only plant waiting for me after a weeks holiday in Holland, and now in the last throes of winter, it is giving up the ghost. I like to think of my herb garden as the triumph of hope over experience, but more likely it is just undeniable evidence that I am an absolute eejit. If you are lucky enough to live further from the Arctic tundra, or have a better grasp of horticulture, this dip is a lovely way to use up some herbs.
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Green Dip
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 big bowl 1x
Description
If you are lucky enough to live further from the Arctic tundra, or have a better grasp of horticulture, this dip is a lovely way to use up some herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 3-4 tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp buttermilk (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 chopped shallot
- 1 chopped garlic clove
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients in a large bowl with a stick blender.
- Use your own judgement and taste to decide how much vinegar to add in and whether or not to add a bit of sugar.
- Season according to taste and serve.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 70
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fewer herbs if I don’t have all four on hand?
The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon each of fresh parsley, basil, dill, and tarragon, but the article frames it as a way to use up whatever herbs you have. The instructions tell you to use your own judgment on seasoning, so combining two or three herbs you do have will still produce a good dip. 
How much white wine vinegar should I add?
The recipe gives a range of ½ to 1 tablespoon and specifically says to use your own judgment by tasting as you go. The optional teaspoon of sugar is there to balance any sharpness if you add the full tablespoon of vinegar.
