Party Dip Trio

Whether you call them dips or a spreads, there’s a lot to love about these easy and flavorful party snacks from our partner Justin Chapple. Whip them up individually or all together and serve them alongside lightly toasted slices of rustic bread, such as his recipe for Everyday Sourdough Boule made in the Bread Oven.

Calabrian Chile and Garlic Confit

1 large head of garlic, cloves peeled (about 12 to 14 cloves)

4 oil-packed Calabrian chiles, plus 1 teaspoon oil from the jar

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Smoky Tomato-Almond Spread

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup smoked almonds

Cucumber-Feta Spread

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeded

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2/3 cup sour cream

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Rustic bread toasts

For the Calabrian Chile and Garlic Confit:

Preheat the oven to 225°F. In a mini cocotte, combine the peeled garlic cloves, chiles, and chile oil. Gradually add olive oil until the garlic and chiles are just covered. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the cocotte and bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, until the garlic is golden and very soft. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

For the Smoky Tomato-Almond Spread:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a shallow baking dish or small braiser, toss the tomatoes and garlic with the olive oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until the tomatoes burst and the garlic is tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. In a food processor, pulse the smoked almonds until finely chopped. Add the tomato mixture and pulse until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature or chill slightly before serving.

For the Cucumber-Feta Spread:

Shred the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. In a fine sieve set over a bowl, toss the shredded cucumber with a generous pinch of salt. Let drain for 15 minutes, then lightly squeeze out any excess liquid from the cucumber. In a food processor, combine the feta and sour cream and puree until smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl and stir in the cucumber, season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the spread until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Serve the trio of spreads with rustic bread toasts.