Mediterranean Yogurt

Photo: flickr user cudmore

Ingredients

1 medium Clove garlic

cup Parsley

cup Fresh cilantro leaves

cup Fresh dill sprigs

cup Fresh basil leaves

cup Fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons Fresh thyme

4 Dried apricots, (3 to 4) (a sof and tart variety)

cup Golden raisins

cup Walnuts, lightly toasted

1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

2 cups Plain lowfat yogurt, firm

Salt, to taste

Cayenne, to taste

Cayenne, a light dusting

4 sprgs parsley, small

Walnut halves, lightly toasted

Preparation

Place the garlic, all the herbs, the dried fruit, and the walnuts in a processor, and pulse until it forms a paste.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and yogurt. Add salt and cayenne to taste.

Cover tightly and refrigerate until use. For a finished look, you can sprinkle a little extra Cayenne on top, and decorate with a few walnut halves just before serving.

Makes 3 cups. Prep. 10 mins.

"I first envisioned this recipe as a kind or multiherb Mediterranean Pesto with a touch of fruit. It tasted okay that way, but was dark and somewhat drab, bpth in looks and in taste so I stirred in some yogurt to lighten it up, and what a success! It popped! It sparkled! It became Mediterranean Yogurt, now one my favorite condiments.

"This sauce can be served alone. as an appetizer or a light lunch entree it is also amazingly compatible with a number of foods. You can serve it as a dip for raw or steamed vegetables. in pita bread with anything and everything. as a sauce for vegetable or grains on baked fish . . . The list is endless.

"Mediterranean Yogurt keeps for about a week in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. However the color won't hold past the first day."