a winey weekend...

This weekend, we ended up having a little last minute wine gathering at our house (which was so much fun!). My time window to cook and eat dinner beforehand was really small, and I hadn't planned anything, so I just picked up some veggies at the grocery store to throw in the oven. It made me remember how much I love having plates of just vegetables for meals - it's simple, really tasty, and super healthy, of course.
With the oven at 400 degrees, I put two sweet potatoes (cut into 4 wedges each) in the oven for about 20 minutes, then added a bunch of asaparagus (with the ends trimmed) and 2 sliced shallots to the oven, tossed with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Everything will finish roasting in about 10-15 minutes. I put the asparagus on a bed of mixed greens, topped the sweet potato wedges with butter, lime, chili, salt and pepper, and enjoyed it quickly before my peeps arrived for an evening of fun...

Then, I woke up in the morning, one fire pit, 8 bottles of wine, several crown and cokes, lots of s'mores, and a few beers later...and headed off to....Oliver Winery. Yes, Chris and I were both feeling semi-nasty in the morning, but it was worth it. Some of the girls in the Arts Administration program organized a tasting and pitch-in picnic, and it was lots of fun. We chose super-fruity light wines to taste, because I simply couldn't handle drinking anything too heavy...and then settled on a bottle of Savignon Blanc, which was really good. I decided to bring this white bean dip to share, which has sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and a bit of heat to keep it interesting. It was really tasty and easy to make, and the leftovers will make an excellent filling with veggies in pita pockets.

Provencal White Bean Dip

adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook

2 15 oz. cans of cannelini beans, rinsed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes (I used those packed in oil, if dried, plump in hot water before using)
2 T. drained capers
juice of 1 lime
1 t. hot sauce
1/2 T. dried oregano (or 2 T. fresh oregano)
1 t. salt
1/2. t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the onion to 400 degrees. Toss garlic cloves and whole jalapeno pepper with 2 T. of the oil and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until soft and light golden brown. Slice jalapeno in half and remove the stem, seeds, and skin. Fit a food processer with the metal blade attachment, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of the processer, and puree until smooth. Serve with crostini, pita, or crudites or use on sandwiches.