Loaded Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for about 5 minutes (skip this step if using tomatoes packed in olive oil; see note below). Drain, pat dry and finely chop. Finely chop artichoke hearts and olives. Mince garlic.

Preheat a small skillet or saucepan on medium to medium low heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add anchovies and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or so, stirring to dissolve anchovies. Add garlic, artichoke, olives and black pepper and cook for a couple minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic get too brown. Add the remaining oil. Remove from heat.

Gently stir in basil and cheese when oil is no longer hot. Allow to rest at room temp for about 20 minutes or so for the flavors to meld. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 4 to 6.

Note: If using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, use about 1 tablespoon of chopped in place of the reconstituted.