Today I want to talk to you guys about dips or also known as spreads; different kinds of dips that are all made with Olive Oil as a base. But first I want to talk to you about something else. Recently the BF attended a brunch organized by Maura from the beautiful blog Yellow Lemon Tree and MAX Havelaar to celebrate the fact that is was going to be Fair Trade week this week (there are a lot of products on promotion in different kinds of supermarkets till the 2nd of November). He really enjoyed him self and when he came home we had a good conversation on this topic. Fair Trade. What does it mean and how can you make a difference?

To me personally, it starts with the little things. I know not everyone is able to afford buying fair trade products, but even if you change one thing, your helping to make a difference for someone else already. Mind you not that the amazing chocolates from Tony Chocolonely are also fair trade and same goes for the Starbucks coffee a lot of people have every morning; so your indulging in something that is that good and also helping out.

About Fair Trade
Fairtrade helps farmers and workers in development countries to achieve a better position in the trading chain, while being able to live of their income and invest in a more sustainable future. Max Havelaar is the organisation that licenses the use of the Fairtrade Certification Mark on products in the Netherlands. Products get this certification when they are in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.

maha yousef - "Spread" the word: Its a Fair party!
For instance, take Maha Yousef, living in Palestine and growing olives to produce organic olive oil for soap making. In the past she was always insecure about her income and what the produce would mean in terms of money. Would she be able to feed her whole family? Would her business continue to exist? With help of the Fairtrade organisation and uniting forces with other olive farmers in the area, they are able to change their situation, sell their product to Europe and the USA and look for a better brighter future while keeping their businesses in tact.

Fair trade week

The fact that its fair trade week this week, did put my mind to thinking. Like olive oil, its something we use every day. I use it to cook on a daily basis, but other people use it for their beauty rituals too. So basically it comes down to using it for almost everything. Either as a salad dressing, as a base to cook a meal or use it in a dip. Now how wonderful would it be if we all would think about the difference we can make!

From November 1st till the end of the year, there is a Pop Up store from Fairtrade.nl opened in Utrecht where you can learn more about the organisation and buy some great products.

A while ago I started with buying Olive Oil that was fairly traded and you can do so too! Now back to my dip adventure. Here are 5 recipes for a dip-party, “spread” away! I know you can’t find all products fair trade, but I did try to use them as much as possible.

IMG 2034 Version 2 1024x715 - "Spread" the word: Its a Fair party! 

Recipes for a dip party

Red beet humus
Ingredients
2 Red beets

400 gr Chick peas
1 clove of Garlic – grated
1 TBsp Sesame seeds
3 TBsp Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Sea salt

4 TBsp Olive oil
Pepper

Method
Cook your beets and drain. Cut up evenly and set aside.
Drain chikpeas.
In a food processor, add in sesame seeds and olive oil. Process untill smooth.
Now add in the rest of the ingredients and blend to get a smooth paste for about 2 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with some toasted bread.

Olive Oil extra vierge with salt and pepper
Ingredients

Extra Vierge Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method
In a small bowl, pour in the olive oil and add some salt and pepper to it.

Serve with some freshly baked bread and dip away

Tomato Basil spread
Ingredients
3 roma tomatoes
1 TBsp Olive oil
1 small clove of Garlic
1 big leaf Basil – chopped up
Salt and pepper

Method
Finely cut up your tomatoes, basil and garlic.
Mix up with Olive oil.
Season with salt.
Serve on some toasted bread and use some extra basil for garnishing.

Ricotta Mushroom dip
Ingredients

150 gr Ricotta cheese
1 TBsp Olive oil
1 small clove of Garlic – grated
2 big Mushrooms
1 sprig Flat leaf parsely – shopped up finely

Method
Finely cut up your mushrooms and flat leaf parsely.

Use 1 TBsp of olive oil to fry your garlic and mushrooms for about 1 minute.
In a food processor add in the mushrooms and half of the ricotta.
Give it a spin until you get a smooth paste.
In a bowl, add the rest of the  ricotta cheese and mix up with the mushroom mixture.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve on some toasted bread and sprinkle some flat leaf parsely on top.

Toasted bread
Ingredients
Olive oil

1 clove Garlic – cut in halves
Bread

Method

Use thickly sliced bread and grill for a few minutes till charred. Rub with half of the garlic and brush with some olive oil.

If you liked these recipes, be sure to check out my other recipes or check the recipe index here.

Culinessa dips olive oil - "Spread" the word: Its a Fair party! 

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