Roasted Beet and Walnut Dip

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Peel and dice the beets. Place in a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes. Place the walnuts on another baking sheet and add them to the oven for the last 3–5 minutes of this time, watching closely to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove beets and walnuts from the oven and put the chopped beets into a food processor or high-speed blender with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until coarse.

Add the roasted walnuts, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and salt and blend until well combined. I prefer to leave a bit of texture to the dip rather than blending smooth.

Transfer the dip to a bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil and some whole walnuts, if desired. Goes great with crackers, veggies and pita. Or slather this dip on some sliced cucumber for a beautiful, simple appetizer.