Being able to play with food is something that every kid knows how to enjoy. It isn’t long before it is drummed out of us, of course, but perhaps that’s why we end up enjoying any kind of finger food. Dips are certainly high on this list and one I’ve been trying recently is a walnut and feta cheese dip.

I can’t remember where I found the recipe and I’m not sure if it belongs to any type of cuisine either. The feta cheese suggests Greece but I’m not sure if it is a Greek dish or not.

So, from my series of ‘Travelling without Moving’, here’s my recipe for Walnut and Feta Nut dip – I serve it with bread but providing strips of carrots, celery or peppers works just as well and these all serve as excellent dippers.

(Of course, like all dips, it is great as an entrée or just as an accompaniment to drinks)

Ingredients

• 125 g walnuts (Almonds work too)
• 1 small garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• A handful of parsley
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar (Balsamico, if you’ve got it)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for splashing
• 150 g feta
• 70 ml milk
• A couple of pinches of paprika

Preparation

• Blitz the nuts in a food processor until they turn to dust.
• Peel and chop the garlic; add this to the nuts.
• Add the parsley, cayenne and sugar to the nuts and blend until the ingredients are well combined.
• Pour the vinegar and oil into the mix.
• Add the feta cheese and process the lot until it turns into a paste.
• Add the milk and process it to turn the lot into a dippable sauce.
• Tip into a serving bowl and dust lightly with paprika.

I’ve varied this recipe using almonds – it works, but somehow works much better with walnuts. I’ve also tried using sweetener instead of sugar; the result is slightly bitter but is a good non-sugar alternative.

Bon appetit!