Hopefully you have been taking full advantage of the bounty of summer produce options. In New York City, Farmer’s Markets abound and CSA shares are flowing. While I’m a huge fan of keeping my recipes and cooking relatively simple — the theory being that the easier/faster it is to prepare my own delicious meals, the more frequently I will actually to do it — sometimes plain veggies just aren’t enough to leave me completely satiated.

Enter: Delicious Dill Dressing. This is a win-win. On one hand, I’m able to spice up my grilled or sautéed vegetables. On the other hand, I get to use the fresh herbs from my CSA basket. Boom. Tahini (ground sesame seeds) has incredible flavor and also adds in some protein, iron, and calcium as well as fat for the fullness factor.

Last night we grilled up some eggplant and carrots and threw together a quick green salad with fresh arugula and lettuce (all from our CSA share from Sol Flower Farm! I can’t recommend this enough!). Adding in a few sausages (Seafood Sausage from Union Market, for me), it was a very complete summer meal. But how to pull it all together? Dress it up, baby…

Tahini Dill Dressing:

Ingredients:

• Tahini
• Lemon Juice (and/or Apple Cider Vinegar)
• Water
• Liquid Aminos
• Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• Other spices to taste: garlic (1 clove or some powder), cumin, and/or paprika
• Fresh Dill

Method:

Put desired amount of tahini into a bowl. I recommend making a nice batch of this as it saves well in the fridge for up to a week and you can use it with all sorts of stuff! So, I start with 2-4 tbsp of tahini with a bit of it’s own oil.  (Note: if you’re at the very end of a tahini jar and there’s no oil, you can add a small pour of olive oil). Then, squeeze in some lemon juice (half a lemon works well for smaller batch, whole lemon works well for 4 tbsp of tahini or so). If you don’t have a lemon on hand, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will substitute well. Next, start adding in cool water, little by little. This is where you get to play. The water will allow you to mix the tahini easily with a spoon, liquifying it’s nut-butter texture. The more water you add, the thinner your dressing will be. Start on the thick side, as you can always add more later!

Splash on a small dash of liquid aminos, for a bit of savory flavor, and a dollop of dijon mustard for some heat. Simply using the back of a spoon, mix all ingredients together well. You can tap the point of your spoon around a bit to mash up any stubborn bits of tahini that are sticking together. From here, season your dressing to taste. Add in some fresh ground black pepper and a bit of sea salt. I like to add in garlic powder or sometimes a bit of cumin or paprika, depending on the mood I’m in. A finely chopped clove of garlic will take this to the next level, if you’re so inclined.

Last but not least, chop up some fresh dill and throw it in! Mix well, make any final adjustments to texture or flavor, and then dress your favorite salad or cooked vegetables. You can even spread it on a burger or mix with canned tuna or salmon for a delicious sandwich! The possibilities are endless.