Roasted Tomato Dip

Roasting the tomatoes for this dip concentrates the taste of the fruit. The dip is a little spicy and full of robust tomato flavor.

1 small shallot
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried ancho chile
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest (optional)
1 cup cannellini beans or white kidney beans

At Home
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mince the shallot and onion. Cut the garlic and tomatoes in half. Put the shallot, onion, garlic and tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will start to brown and become very soft. Remove from the oven and let the mixture cool.

Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined. Dehydrate on a lined tray as you would for fruit leather. The dip takes between 5 and 7 hours to dry. Once it is dry, you can grind it into a powder using a spice or coffee grinder to make it easier to rehydrate. Pack into a ziplock bag along with the camp instructions.

At Camp
Rehydrate the bean dip using a formula of 1½ parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 or 10 minutes and then add a little more water if necessary. When you reach your lunch stop, enjoy the dip with crackers, bread sticks, Greek pita wedges, or tortilla chips. It is also good in a wrap with chicken or vegetables.