Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip

Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip/Spread. A week ago, I came across this dip on Tastespotting. Since then, I found it here and here and here. It sounded delicious and very easy to whip up. I knew I wanted to try it. I just love unique dips. Because I had all the ingredients, I whipped it up in no time. This recipe came together rather quickly. Ok, maybe it was because I had some ready-made roasted peppers on hand:). I had bought these peppers from Costco, and wanted to see if they were just as good as the homemade ones. They didn't have any preservatives... just peppers, salt, vinegar, water and grape juice. Plus, they were Florinas peppers ... supposedly the best peppers to use for this dip. The Florinas peppers are distinguished by their cone shape and scarlet color, and cultivated in the eastern part of Greece. Greek dip, Greek peppers... now, that should work. So I gave them a try:). They did the job! This dip was definitely easy to do. Simple. Different. You can roast your own peppers, and it would be just as delicious, if not better. Actually, I think I will roast my peppers next time... just to see the difference. There are so many variations to this dip...Some use sundried tomatoes, others use just the cheese without any bell peppers, while still others add a few pepperonchini peppers. Ingredients and amounts can vary...but the cheese is the star. Traditionally, it should be the Kopanisti cheese found in Greece, therefore the name. But, feta cheese can be substituted. A lot of the dips use quite a bit of feta. So, if you don't like feta....well, that could pose a problem:)...maybe you could substitute some milder cheese. The neat thing about making this at home, is that you can play around with the amounts to suit your liking. Use less feta or use more bell peppers...add more garlic or don't put so much. It is up to you. This is how I made mine and liked it. Hope you enjoy!

You will need:

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2-3 TBS Olive Oil, you might want to add more

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 TBS fresh mint (optional)

red pepper flakes (optional)

1 roasted red pepper, skin peeled

pepper to taste

cumin, to taste, very optional (my addition, liked it better, actually)

a pinch of sugar, in case your dip is a bit on the sour side(I think my peppers were a bit on the sour side)

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients(except the oil) into a food processor and blend together. Drizzle olive oil until it becomes smooth. You might need to add more than the 2-3 TBS. I just limit the amount of oil I use....though it does bring it together quite nicely. It also tastes better with more oil:).

Taste and adjust seasoning for red pepper flakes. Add pepper if needed. Blend again until smooth. Serve with pita/naan/ crusty bread. I think this dip tastes better as it sits, so the flavors blend.