Summer Crudité with Pesto Aïoli

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

For the crudité, buy the freshest local vegetables you can find, preferably from the farmers market or a farmstand. If there is any leftover aïoli (though I doubt there will be, so you might consider doubling the recipe) think about using this for your next BLT or turkey sandwich.

makes about 1 cup aïoli, serving 6–8 people with crudité

1 large egg yolk
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 anchovy fillets, drained
1 tablespoon water
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup neutral-flavored oil such as grapeseed or safflower seed oil
kosher or sea salt, to taste
assorted summer vegetables, such as sungold cherry tomatoes, blanched snap peas, snow peas or wax beans, a quartered fennel bulb, Persian cucumbers, cooked fingerling potatoes and assorted radishes

Place egg yolk, basil, parmesan, anchovies, water, lemon juice, garlic and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Purée until basil is finely chopped and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

With motor running, slowly drizzle in the oils through the feed tube to emulsify. Season with salt to taste and serve with vegetables.

Picnic Tips: Transfer the aïoli into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Prep vegetables ahead of time and place them, wrapped in damp paper towels, in zip-top bags. When you are ready to serve, place dip on a platter (a wooden cutting board would work well here) and arrange vegetables around the dip bowl. Keep the dip and vegetables in the cooler during transport.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Italian-style picnics.