Method
Prep:55min ›
Ready in:55min
- For the pesto-yogurt dip, use a pestle and mortar to crush the basil, garlic and pine nuts to a paste. Work in the yogurt a spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add seasoning to taste. Alternatively, purée all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.
- For the fresh herb dip, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. Cover tightly and chill until required.
- For the Italian-style tomato dip, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover them. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are plump and tender. Drain the tomatoes well, then pat them dry and finely chop them.
- Purée the cottage cheese with the yogurt in a food processor or blender. Alternatively, press the cheese through a sieve and stir in the yogurt. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tomatoes. Cover and chill until required.
- Just before serving the Italian-style tomato dip, finely shred the basil and stir in with seasoning to taste.
- Serve the bowls of dips on a large platter with the crudités arranged around them.
Some more ideas
There is a wide choice of vegetables for making crunchy, delicious crudités. For example, try celery or cucumber sticks, whole radishes, baby plum tomatoes halved lengthways, small cauliflower florets (raw or briefly cooked) and baby new potatoes cooked until tender.
Plus points
Pine nuts are rich in a variety of minerals: magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and copper. * Dairy products such as yogurt, fromage frais and cottage cheese are valuable sources of calcium. This mineral is essential for the structure of bones and teeth, which contain 99% of all calcium in the body.
Each serving (3 dips alone) provides
B12, E * B2, calcium