Spring Vegetable And Goat Cheese Dip

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup leek, chopped ( and pale green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated
• kosher salt
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• 14 ounces water-packed artichoke hearts, chopped and drained well
• 1/2 cup fresh peas (may use thawed frozen peas)
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
• 4 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese, divided

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• 2 cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. drain and let it cool.
• 3 melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. whisk in the flour, then whisk in the milk. brink to a simmer, whisking constantly. cook until thickened; remove from the heat and add the cheddar cheese. whisk until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. add salt and pepper to taste.
• 4 fold in the asparagus (reserve the tips), artichoke hearts, peas, chives, mint, parsley, grated lemon zest, and 2 oz crumbled fresh goat cheese.
• 5 transfer the mixture to a 4-5 cup baking dish; arrange the asparagus tips on top, and dot with another 2 oz crumbled goat cheese. bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.