Phantastic

Phillies are in the playoffs...company is in the house!
Guests always show up with chips and queso, but I like to whip up something primal friendly as well. And guess what? Company loves it too.
Here are this year's phavorites:

Pesto cream cheese layers
I make my own pesto (recipe at the bottom of this post), but you could substitute store bought in this super simple (meaning great at the last minute) creation.
1 block cream cheese
1/2 c pesto
1 roma tomato
Slice cream cheese in half horizontally. Put most of the pesto between the two layers. Put remaining pesto on top. Dice tomato and sprinkle over as well. (The tomato was a new addition to this spread -- just trying to get in a little Phillies red!)



Pesto cream cheese layers with onion garlic flax crackers (top left), Brad's Raw kale chips (bottom left) and carrot chips.

Macadamia onion dip
Yeah, it does sound wierd, but trust me it's good.
2 c macadamias (I prefer lightly salted)
3/4 c water
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 handful crumbled bacon
In food processor, grind nuts with 1/4 c water. Stop to redistribute, scrape down sides and add 1/4 c water. If it is still too spackly after processing a second time, repeat, adding remaining water. When spread is desired consistency, fold in onion and bacon to taste.
Thanks to the folks at Harvest Market for their inspiration on this one!

I usually serve my dips with carrot chips, but recently I have discovered two raw food crackers that are good for munching too. My favorite is Foods Alive onion garlic flax crackers. For soft spreads, Brad's Raw Chips (I use Kale, but there are several varieties) are good too. Both are pictured with the Pesto cream cheese layers.

Basil walnut pesto
4 c fresh basil, lightly packed
3 tb minced garlic
1 c crushed walnuts
1/3 c grated parmesan or romano
1 c olive or walnut oil
Put basil in blender, top with next three ingredients and half of oil, and puree, stopping frequently to scrape down sides. Add remaining oil gradually as needed to achieve desired consistency.
I keep my pesto fairly dry because this is how I preserve the excess that comes out of my garden every year. After blending, scoop half cup portions into a muffin pan, cover with Press-N-Seal and freeze. Reheat in saucepan or microwave, adding a little oil to thin out.