Also known as Ronde de Nice, globe squash are a French heirloom variety of summer squash. They are quite similar to a zucchini but with larger seeds in the center. Their tender flesh is quite easy to scoop out, making them the perfect vessel for stuffed vegetable dishes or dips. I started snacking on a lot of carrot sticks and sliced vegetables lately, possibly because I tend to crave lighter foods during the summer. As we all know, sliced vegetables are always better when consumed with a bit of flavorful dip. Hummus and I need to take a break for a while. They’re absolutely tasty, of course, but my tastebuds need some excitement. So I experimented with preparing a lighter dip using globe squash and cannellini (white kidney beans). Roasted globe squash brought lightness to my dip, and the bulb of roasted garlic I added gave it fantastic sweet flavor. I know that cooking with roasted garlic can be a pain. My fingers are always sticky after removing the tender cloves from the skin. But because they release such great flavor to any dish, I’ll bite the bullet. Besides, I love squeezing roasted garlic cloves from their papery sheaths. It feels like I’m squeezing tiny tubes of garlic purée! I added about 1 1/2 cups of this dip to flavor a pasta dish yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised that it all worked together! This dip is a great alternative for days when you don’t feel like a tomato-based pasta dish.
