I’ve posted this recipe once before. But it simply begs to be mentioned again. Because if your summer recipe repertoire does not include this…you’re missing out on an extremely tasty staple (that happens to be incredibly good for you).
You’ve bought garden vegetable cream cheese from the grocery store, right? It has little specs of green and red, and tastes vaguely like it might have derived from vegetables at some point in its production.
This is nothing like that.
This is a million times better.
Farmer’s markets are in full bounty, and the produce is ripe for a recipe like this that highlights summer’s most delicious flavors. And, since I last posted this recipe, I’ve started adding fresh dill from the garden which just takes it right over the top and into la la land, where you don’t even believe food can be this good.
It takes five minutes to whip together in the food processor. After that, you get tasty nutrition-packed goodness in your fridge all week long, to add a flavor punch to breakfast, lunches, snacks and dinners.
This is a wonderfully flexible recipe for experimentation and cooking without measuring—try mixing and matching ingredients to go with whatever you got in your CSA box or garden this week.
- You could try swapping out all or some of the radishes for carrots or parsnips, for example.
- Or maybe experimenting with different combinations of herbs.
- Would it be weird to put some garlic in here? I think it could be awesome. You should try it out and tell me how it goes.
Here are my favorite ways to eat this vegetable cream cheese spread:
- On a bagel (Specifically, an everything bagel.)
- Or on plain old toast
- As a veggie dip (that’s right, veggies on veggies! With cheese. It’s like a healthy dream.)
- Spread on crackers
- On a sandwich. (For example: Bread, thick layer of vegetable cream cheese spread, turkey, cheese, greens and/or sprouts, bread. NOM.)
DIY vegetable cream cheese recipe
Recipe modified slightly from Farmgirl Fare, via Herbal Turtle Farms
2 cups (8 ounces) halved or quartered radishes
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (I often substitute with a cup of chives from my garden)
½ cup (or more to taste) packed chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces (or more) cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (or more) feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
A bit of fresh or dried dill, if you have it
Salt to taste
Several grinds of fresh pepper
Whiz the radishes, scallions, and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the cream cheese, feta, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as necessary. Add more cream cheese if you’d like a thicker sandwich spread.
Spread on a bagel, or serve with fresh veggies, crackers, pita chips, pretzels or baguette slices. It will keep in the fridge for several days.
I would LOVE to hear your ideas to add to this list, because we all clearly need more vegetable cream cheese in our lives, amIright? Email me or leave a note in the comments with your favorite ways to use it, or your favorite ingredients if they’re not in my recipe!
