Are you ready for a hot weather dip? Not in the pool, but in your bowl? This Summer Vegetable Dip will be tasty on veggies, chips, or even your spoon!
You know those smells, sounds, and flavors that take you back to your childhood? The way they transport you to another place and time. Memories flooding back, nostalgia coming at you in waves. We all have them.
For me, the smell of lilacs always has me standing in my grandparent’s driveway, staring up at the canopy of purple and white flowers, their fragrance blowing in the wind. An 80’s song on the radio? I’m immediately transported back to a school dance, petrified of the boys I wanted to dance with on the other side of the room. I can even tell you what I was wearing. Pin stripe jeans and cardigan sweater from The Limited, anyone? Why my brain keeps THAT memory intact instead of today’s to-do list is beyond me.
Certain flavors do the same thing for me. My mom’s lasagna is a dish that takess me back to many-a Christmas Eve dinner. My grandmother’s soft raisin cookies make me long for those days of sitting at her kitchen table, nibbling on the goodies that came out of her oven. I love the memories as much as the food, if not more.
With summer firmly upon us, I recently waxed poetic about the block parties that our neighborhood used to throw for the 4th of July. Some of my favorite childhood food memories are the simplest, and the strongest. This week I’ll be strolling down memory lane as I chronicle the simple classics that made up parts of my upbringing in the Midwest.
Today’s is a simple vegetable dip that my mom has made for nearly every party ever thrown by my parents. And let me say, they are party-throwing pros. I come by my social streak honestly. Any party at the house included a big vegetable tray with this dip as the centerpiece. I admit to having just stuck my finger in the bowl rather than using a celery stick (when I was a kid, not as an adult!). It’s really that good.
Almost as good as the memories themselves.
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. Accent (see note below)
- 1 tbsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- Rinse and dry, and finely chop green onions.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl.
- Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, and up to overnight.
- Serve with your favorite vegetables! (yes, it really was that simple) Any extra keeps in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
A note about the ingredient used here called Accent. It's a "flavor booster", and contains MSG. While there are regular arguments against any use of MSG in food, I think it's important to note that our bodies produce it naturally in some amounts. I'm not saying that it's something that we want to add more of to our diets, I'm just saying that it's an alternative used in many food products and spice blends. To be honest, this is the only recipe I actually use it in. I've tried omitting it and using salt as an alternative, but it's not quite the same. Use it, don't use it, but I thought it warranted a comment here.
I'd love to hear your experiences using or not using this or other "flavor boosters". Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Bring it on!
What a great dip to make and keep in the fridge to enjoy during the week. I’ve used Accent before and like it a lot. Pinning!!
What a great dip! I have used Accent before and I’m totally on board. I bet it makes this dip taste great.
Ahh, Texas Mountain Laurels and their distinct grape Kool-Aid smell always takes me back to my grandparents front yard in early spring. I love dishes that bring back such strong memories – your mom’s dip sounds fabulous!
I’ve never actually heard of Accent, but sometimes you just can’t mess with something! For me, I find a dash of salt will help bring out flavors and I feel like cayenne does the same thing in certain recipes. Those two tend to be my go-to flavor boosters.
Food memories can be so strong! I’ve never heard of Accent, and don’t have an opinion on it either way, especially since people always have the option to use it or not use it when cooking 😉 Thank you for sharing your mom’s tried & true dip recipe!