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Bread winners

Bring a crusty loaf to life with a well-seasoned dip or two.

At first, when restaurants poured a saucer of olive oil for dipping bread, it seemed - at least to our butter-oriented culture - wonderfully innovative. It felt European. It tasted good. And who isn't ravenous right before the food arrives? But then the dilution began. Once the practice caught on, great oils were replaced by ordinary blends, which couldn't stand on their own. Customers began to demand butter again.

Some establishments still offer great oil, but now it's mixed with something to give the oil some dimension. The Somerville restaurant EVOO (the name is short for extra virgin olive oil) pours oil onto a little dish with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese, combining sweet, rich, and nutty tastes. Chef-owner Peter McCarthy reduces the balsamic to make it intensely sweet and adds parsley and crushed peppers to the Parmesan cheese. With crusty bread, the little plate of oil is very satisfying.

Roasted tomatoes, crushed and marinated in oil, make another dip that you can scoop onto pieces of bread. You can also blend yogurt with feta cheese and mint, which is just as nice spooned beside grilled lamb as it is on bread. Or puree beans with parsley and crushed pepper, and drizzle some oil on top. You won't be asking for butter any time soon.

EVOO'S OLIVE OIL, BALSAMIC VINEGAR, AND PARMESAN DIP

This is the instant version of EVOO's bread dip.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the vinegar onto a small plate. Pour the olive oil into the middle and garnish the oil with the cheese. Serve at once with crusty bread.

SERVES 4

ROASTED TOMATOES WITH GARLIC

A popular Spanish tapas involves rubbing garlic over toasted bread, then squeezing a pulpy ripe tomato onto the garlic, until all that is left in your hand is a core and some tomato skin. Here are those flavors with a little rosemary.

6 plum tomatoes
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 sprig rosemary
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil

Set the oven at 450 degrees. With a paring knife, core the tomatoes and make half a dozen tiny slits in the skins.

Place the tomatoes on a baking dish. Sprinkle them lightly with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the tomatoes in the hot oven for 20 minutes or until the tomato skins have pulled away from the flesh and are lightly charred. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set them aside to cool.

Pull off and discard the skins.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. With a few pulses, puree the tomatoes until they are chunky and coarse. Transfer them to a serving bowl. Add the rosemary sprig and garlic. Pour just enough oil over the tomatoes to make the thinnest possible layer. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for as long as 1 day to allow the flavors to mellow. Remove the dip from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving with crusty bread.

SERVES 6

THREE PEPPERS WITH BASIL

1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 flat anchovies
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Set the oven at 450 degrees. Place the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle them with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them in the hot oven for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until they are blistered and charred (but not burned) all over.

Remove them from the oven and transfer to a plastic bag. Fold the open end closed and set the peppers aside for 20 minutes.

Halve the peppers. Remove and discard the skin, cores, and seeds.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the peppers, anchovies, and capers. Work the mixture until it forms a coarse puree.

With the machine running, pour the 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube, then add the vinegar.

Transfer the puree to a serving bowl. Stir in the basil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as 1 day. Remove the dip from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving with crusty bread.

SERVES 6

FETA, YOGURT, AND MINT

1/2 pound imported feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Extra mint (for garnish)

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the feta cheese, yogurt, and onion. Work the mixture until it is coarsely chopped. Add the mint, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl, sprinkle it with oil, and garnish with extra mint. Serve at once with crusty bread.

SERVES 6

CANNELLINI BEAN DIP

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra olive oil (for sprinkling)

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Stir in the beans and cook for 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, parsley, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, work the bean mixture until it is smooth. It should just hold its shape. If it seems too thick, add a spoonful of water. Transfer it to a bowl, sprinkle it with oil, and serve at once.

SERVES 6

FRESH HERB PESTO

1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, coarsely chop the parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and salt. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube until it is combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and serve at once.

SERVES 8

MELTED CHERRY TOMATOES

1 container "grape" cherry tomatoes (or regular cherry tomatoes)
2 tablespoons oil Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)

Pick through the tomatoes to remove any stems. Halve about one-quarter of the tomatoes.

In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the tomatoes over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, or until the tomatoes collapse. Add salt and pepper during cooking.

Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl, add the herbs, and serve with grilled or toasted bread.

SERVES 4