My cousin-in-law and her husband were on their way. Dinner was planned (pecan-crusted flank steak, roasted potatoes and parsnips with chili oil, and broccoli with breadcrumbs and lemon zest), but it occurred to me that a starter might be nice for when they arrived. My go-to white bean and artichoke dip would be easy, but I was bored with it. As I cut the baby Yukon potatoes for roasting, I mused… why not add a couple of them to the dip for extra body? And what else could I throw in to jazz things up? 2 large cloves of garlic went into the boiling water with the potatoes as they cooked. Some leftover lemon zest from the broccoli, fresh sage, and romano cheese rounded things out. Luckily, it was one of the best dips I’ve ever made. We ate it all up.

To make it: In a small pot, boil 2 baby Yukon potatoes and 2 large cloves garlic in salted water until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool slightly. Peel the potatoes and put them into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the soft garlic from their skins into the food processor. Add 8 or 9 chopped fresh sage leaves, 1 15-oz. can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans, 1/2 a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and about 2 Tbsp. of the marinade, the zest from 1/2 a lemon, and about 1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with carrot sticks, wedges of red bell pepper, and/or crackers. Enjoy!