TWO DIPS FOR CRUDITéS

Steps:

• Yellow Split Pea Dip
• Wrap carrots, celery, white onion, herbs, and peppercorns into a bundle; tie with kitchen twine.
• Combine split peas with the water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and herb bundle in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until split peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard bundle. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Drain split peas; let cool slightly.
• Puree split peas, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid in a food processor until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. To serve, drizzle spread with oil, top with red onion and capers, and season with pepper.
• Taramasalata
• Place roe in a bowl and cover with cold water; soak 10 minutes. Drain in a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Rinse; drain again. Gather cheesecloth around roe, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Meanwhile, cover potato in a saucepan with 2 inches cold water and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and let cool.
• Puree roe, potato, and lemon juice in a food processor. With machine running, add oil and process until smooth. Season with pepper.
• CRUDITÉS
• The dips here are accompanied by spring produce, but nearly any vegetable can be used in a platter of crudités. Serve tender vegetables, such as celery, snap peas, and baby carrots, raw; broccoli, green beans,and cauliflower are better (and lose little nutritional value) when blanched for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water and then shocked in an ice-water bath.
• Nutrition Information
• YELLOW SPLIT PEA DIP
• (Per 1/4-cup serving)
• Calories: 124
• Saturated Fat: .5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Carbohydrates: 17g
• Protein: 6.54g
• Sodium: 408mg
• Fiber: .2g
• TARAMASALATA
• (Per 1/4-cup serving)
• Calories: 101
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4.6g
• Cholesterol: 136mg
• Carbohydrates: 3.3g
• Protein: 8.4g
• Sodium: 104mg
• Fiber: .2g