Avocado Feta Dip

I spent my birthday weekend in Vancouver BC. Deja vú. I fall in love with that city more and more every time we go and explore more of it. The Portland Timbers have made their way to the MLS playoffs, so we followed them up to Vancouver for their game on the 8th. We would have gone even if it wasn’t my birthday weekend, but it made it a little bit better.

We stayed in an Airbnb in Olympic Village. It was a modern condo that had a Viking range. Swoon. I didn’t cook on it it, but I stared at it lovingly every single day we were there. The rain poured down on our first full day there, but it didn’t stop us from getting out on foot a little bit. Some new favorites from this trip: Rosemary Rocksalt for their namesake bagel, Phnom Penh for some super authentic Cambodian food, Bao Down for a fried chicken steamed bun, Craft Beer Market for 140 beer taps with a high percentage dedicated to Canadian brew, Elysian Coffee for a solid Americano, Japadog for things on hot dogs, and 33 Acres Brewing for the prettiest brewery of all time and their beers are super good to boot. The Timbers won and have moved on to the Western conference finals. It was icing on the cake.

Once my birthday hits, it’s the fast track to the end of the year. I’m all about making foodstuffs for the various events that go out between now and then. I came across this dip in a fit of hunger but wanted something quick. Snacks = meals. So does standing around and eating the giant bowl of potato salad for every meal, but that’s another story. I know more than a few people in my life that would cringe at the combination of flavors in this dip, but that means there is most for me. Depending on your love of feta cheese, you might want to ease into using the whole 4oz depending on the size of your avocado. I love both equally [don’t make me choose a favorite!] so I had no problem committing 110%. I’m sure you could pass on the green onions [scallions, if you’re so inclined] if you wanted, but they’re a nice contrast both in flavor and texture. It reminded me a lot bit of these green onion appetizers that would end up at my parents’ house at family events. Talk about simplicity. Wrap the white part of a scallion in cream cheese. Roll the cream cheese in shredded cheddar. Devour. I’m pretty sure the onion is just a vehicle for cheese, but I am convinced these things are the reason I have no problem eating plain green onions raw as a snack.

Inspiration: Green Valley Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, diced
• 4oz feta cheese
• Juice of a small lemon [approximately 2 tablespoons or to taste]
• 3-4 scallions, sliced thin, remove any dry or shriveled ends
• Cracked pepper to taste

Preparation

This is one of those things that you have to taste as you go in order to really get the flavor you’re looking for. A little bit of something changes the dynamic entirely.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the diced avocado, feta cheese, and scallions. Remember to use less of the feta if you’re unsure of how much you’re going to like the flavor. Blend until mostly smooth. Add the lemon juice and cracked pepper. Combine. Continue until you get a consistency and taste that you enjoy.

If you don’t have a food processor, you could do it by hand just as easily. I used a small food processor that could barely hold all of the avocado and feta cheese, so the scallions, lemon juice, and pepper were mixed in by hand. I didn’t mind in the slightest. Mmm onion chunks.

I am assuming the lemon juice would keep the dip from turning brown on you, but mine didn’t last long enough to find out.